Education Commons^™

Relationship Between School Climate And Student Achievement In Middle Schools, Brad Boykin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Administrators are charged with making decisions and implementing strategies to improve a school’s climate and student achievement. Because school climate and student achievement are interrelated, it would benefit administrators to understand which areas of school climate have the greatest impact on student achievement. The State of Georgia measures school climate and achievement with its school accountability measure, College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). This study employed a quantitative research design using archival data from CCRPI over two years to examine the relationship between school climate and student achievement. The researcher used Pearson’s r correlation and multiple regression analysis to …

The Relationship Between Servant Leadership And Teacher Retention And Student Achievement, David Earl Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental quantitative study aimed to determine if servant leadership influenced teacher retention or student achievement and if teacher retention influenced student achievement. This study’s respondents were 145 middle and high school teachers within a contiguous rural region of the Southeastern United States. Survey responses were received and analyzed during the late summer of 2020. Three research questions guided this study: Does servant leadership [high, low] influence teacher retention intention; What is the effect of servant leadership [high, low] on student achievement by categorical population groups as identified by the GaDOE; and lastly, What is the effect of teacher retention …

Preschool Enrollment And Elementary School Achievement In An East Tennessee School District, Derek Voiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in achievement scores exists among students based on whether or not they attended preschool as measured by standardized achievement reading-language arts and math scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program assessment for fourth grade students in a single East Tennessee school district. The variables of grade level and preschool attendance were considered. The population consisted of fourth grade students during the 2014-2015 school year. Data were gathered from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement test scores obtained from the 2014-2015 school year and from the school district’s preschool …

Students To Computer Ratio, Socioeconomic Status, And Student Achievement, Jessica W. Cate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the students to computer ratio and 6^th grade student achievement in Math and Reading during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years as compared by socioeconomic status at each of 562 schools in Tennessee. The independent variables in the study were the ratio of students to computer (low/middle/high), the change in ratio of students to computer from 2013-2014 to 2014-2015, and socioeconomic status (low/non-low). The dependent variables in the study were 6^th grade mean Reading scores for 2014-2015, 6^th grade mean Reading gain scores …

Using Educational Data Mining Techniques To Analyze The Effect Of Instructors’ Lms Tool Use Frequency On Student Learning And Achievement In Online Secondary Courses, Jonathan Barkand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pedagogy of teaching and learning has been changing since computers were first integrated into the classroom. As technology evolves, the evaluation of the instructional tool’s effectiveness will continue to be an area of research need. The effectiveness of an instructional tool can be measured by student learning and achievement. Student learning and achievement was found to be most effective when the characteristics of active learning/engagement, frequent interaction, and feedback were present. The presence is provided by the instructor. Chickering and Gamson (1987) developed the Seven Principles for Good Practice (SPGP) in Undergraduate Education to improve teaching and learning.

The …

The Relationship Between The Mississippi Adequate Education Program And Student Achievement In Mississippi Schools, Avence Pittman Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation research examined the effects of school funding upon student achievement in Mississippi public schools from 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014. The detailed description of the MAEP and its relationship to revenues derived from ad valorem taxes and how they explain the primary basis for revenues that support public education in Mississippi. Hence, a secondary problem in this study identified a prediction equation based upon selected school characteristics and derived funding levels (using MAEP data) to predict student achievement. Six hypotheses were examined in the study to determine the effects of school funding upon academic achievement.

Relationship Between School Climate And Student Achievement, Gail H. Greenway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly public schools in the United States are finding that factors beyond curriculum and instruction impact student achievement. Much research has been conducted on the relationship between school climate and student achievement (Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009; Guo & Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2011). This study set out to determine if there was a correlation between school climate and student achievement in middle schools in the Central Savannah River Area Regional Educational Service Agency region in the state of Georgia. Findings from this quantitative study indicated that there is a statistically significant, positive relationship between school climate and student achievement in middle …

The Perceptions Of Northeast Tennessee Educators Regarding Arts Integration, Philip A. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the perceptions of Northeast Tennessee Educators regarding arts integration. Specifically this study was an examination of the perceptions of district and K-8 school level administrators, K-8 general classroom teachers of math, science, social studies, or literacy, and K-8 arts specialists of dance, drama, music, or visual arts. Nine school districts in Northeast Tennessee agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected through an online survey system, SurveyMonkey.com. Data from 179 participants were used in the study. Seventeen items from the survey were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Those items …

1:1 Laptop Experience And High-Stakes Testing: Effects On Eighth-Grade Student Achievement, Mary Lea Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on 1:1 laptop implementations is missing key information about student achievement on high-stakes assessment. This post hoc, quasi-experimental, quantitative study explores how 1:1 laptop access affects student achievement on the mandated eighth-grade online science assessment in five Mississippi school districts throughout the state. Fifth-grade science assessment results are used as a baseline for student achievement. Three research questions examined mean scale scores on the science assessment, change in scores from fifth to eighth-grade, and the effect on scale scores as the duration of the 1:1 laptop implementation increased. Two of the three experimental districts shoa significant difference in the …

Relationship Between The Tcap And The Pearson Benchmark Assessment In Elementary Students’ Reading And Math Performance In A Northeastern Tennessee School District, Cherith A. Dugger-Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a relationship between the TCAP test and Pearson Benchmark assessment in elementary students’ reading and language arts and math performance in a northeastern Tennessee school district. This study involved 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. The study focused on the following subgroups: gender, Title I school status, and socioeconomic status as determined by free and reduced-price meal benefits. Test scores of students taking the Pearson Benchmark assessment in the fall, winter, and spring of the 2011-2012 academic school year and the TCAP in the spring of the …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Merit Pay In Georgia, Jessica Edenfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of implementing a merit pay plan as reported by elementary teachers in three rural Georgia school districts, one of which was participating in the Race to the Top (RT3) initiative. The study examined the perceptions of 109 elementary teachers in regard to merit pay implementation, models of merit pay, factors worthy of reward, and the impact that perceptions of school culture has on attitudes towards merit pay. The study employed a descriptive survey approach to address the research questions. An amended version of the Teacher Survey on Performance Pay was employed to explore the perceptions …

Teaching Experience And Perceived Challenges For School Administrators Regarding Job Stress, Respect, Student Achievement, Assessment & Evaluation, And Professional Development, Erika H. Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether an administrators’ professional teaching background and years of administrative experience influence their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges they face guiding the improvement of teaching and learning. Specifically this research analyzed administrators’ perceptions of level of stress, respect among colleagues and school community, professional development, student achievement, and assessment and evaluation. Participants in this study consisted of Tennessee and North Carolina principals, assistant principals, and associate principals within a 60 mile radius of the East Tennessee State University campus. Data were collected through an online survey system, Survey Monkey. The …

An Investigation Of Reading Instruction In Northeast Tennessee., Karen Pierson Reach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine specific prekindergarten- through 8th-grade reading programs, instructional best practices, academic interventions, and educational activities that are perceived as successful practices in four high achieving schools within the parameters of Northeast Tennessee. This study was accomplished through a protocol of open-ended interviews with 15 participants comprised of 4 school principals, 4 primary reading teachers, 4 intermediate reading teachers, 2 Title I reading specialists, and 1 district language arts coordinator. Additionally, school-specific documentation and basal reading programs were reviewed to triangulate the findings of this investigation.

The findings from this study suggested that …

The Effects Of Teacher Ideology On Student Performance As Related To Poverty And Ethnicity, Jessica Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to explore the impact of teacher ideology on student performance. A definition of teacher ideology was drawn from the pupil control ideology, PCI, created by Willower, Eidell and Hoy (1967). Research concerned with teacher ideology has suggested that there is a definite difference between the custodial ideology and the humanistic ideology (Gaffney, 1997). In particular, the custodial teacher views rules and regulations as a priority, while the humanistic teacher views the student as the priority. Factors which influenced student achievement, such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and behavior in relation to how teacher ideology affects student performance …

Achievement For Advancement Via Individual Determination (Avid) Students And Non-Avid Students In Select Central Florida High Schools In 2007-2009: A Comparative Study, Linda Connors

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study was to examine the relationship of student participation in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program and student academic performance. More specifically, this study was conducted to determine if there was a mean difference in student performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in mathematics, reading, and writing between students who participated in the AVID program during their first two years of high school and students who had similar demographics (e.g., ethnicity, gender, and economic status) but did not participate in the AVID program for 2007-2009. The population for this study consisted of students …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Teacher Variables And Student Achievement Scores In Hamblen County, Tennessee., Anne Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between teacher variables and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) student annual scores in reading and mathematics for students in grades 3 through 8 in Hamblen County, Tennessee. The teacher variables included number of days absent, Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) scores, and years of experience. The population of the study was limited to 3rd- through 8th grade reading and mathematics teachers employed by the Hamblen County school district during the 2006-2007 school year. Raw scores from the 2006-2007 TCAP criterion-referenced assessment were used as …

The Effects Of Increasing Family Involvement On Student Achievement In Scientific Inquiry, Patricia Denoon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that there is a positive correlation with student performance when there are members of the family, primarily a parent, who are actively involved with the student and their education. The following action research plan was designed to determine how increasing parental involvement affected student performance in a scientific inquiry program. This was done by offering "parenting a middle school student" workshops, encouraging family run practices at home, and inviting parents to attend a class with their student. This research was conducted in a large middle school in a central Florida school district with two 7th grade classrooms. …

An Examination Of Student Performance In Reading/Language And Mathematics After Two Years Of Thinking Maps® Implementation In Three Tennessee Schools., Katharine Mabie Hickie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, association exists between Thinking Maps^® instruction and student achievement in fifth grade students in Reading/Language and Mathematics as reported by the State NCE scores of the criterion referenced portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test in 3 Title I elementary schools in northeast Tennessee. The association was examined after 2 years of Thinking Maps^® implementation and instruction. Using a quantitative design, the quasiexperimental study included fifth grade students' State NCE scores from 2005 and the same students' State NCE scores from 2003. Scores obtained …

The Relationship Of Student Achievement To Prinicpals' Self-Reported Use Of The Four Frame Theory, Donna Poniatowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was developed to provide information about the relationship of principals' use of Bolman and Deal's (1991) four frame model of leadership to student achievement. The collection and analysis of student Florida Comprehensive Assessment Testing (FCAT) data over a 2 year period served as a measure to indicate whether or not an increase in reading mean scale score occurred from 2004 to 2005. Comparative analysis of both sets of data using multiple regressions was used to determine if there was a relationship between the self-reported leadership orientations of the principals and student achievement. In addition, the study was intended …

Principal Leadership, Teacher Morale, And Student Achievement In Seven Schools In Mitchell County, North Carolina., Morgen A. Houchard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand and measure principal leadership practices and teacher morale as it relates to student achievement in Mitchell County at two elementary schools, four middle schools, and one high school. First, a review of the related literature attempted to define teacher morale as much as possible given that it is an ever-changing individual characteristic. Second, the researcher tried to understand teacher morale and distinguish between high and low elements and characteristics of teacher morale. Third, the researcher examined the difficult task of measuring the morale of teachers in public education today. Fourth, an attempt …

Parental Involvement Typologies As Related To Student Achievement., Stacia Maria Derrick-Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine specific parenting practices in four East Tennessee counties to determine their relationships, if any, to student achievement among various demographic groups. The investigation included status variables, such as parents' educational level, annual income level, and family structure. Students' Normal Curve Equivalent scores on the Terra Nova Standardized Test were used to measure student achievement. The Epstein (1987) typologies were used to classify parent involvement modalities.

The analysis consisted of four research questions and were tested at the .05 level of significance. Pearson's product-moment, Spearman's rho, and Kendall's Tau B correlation coefficients were …