Education Commons^™

It All Adds Up: Professional Development, Content Knowledge, And Self-Efficacy In Middle School Math Teachers, Wendy Creek

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The math achievement of American students had been stagnant or falling since 2007, according to both national and international measures (NAEP, TIMSS, PISA). While the Common Core State Standards were partially a response to sinking levels of American math proficiency, those standards require a much greater depth of conceptual understanding of mathematics for teachers than previous standards, yet more than half of fifth- through eighth-grade math teachers are not certified to teach math. The federal government and school districts spend millions of dollars on teacher professional development, but little evidence shows what kind of professional development might be the most …

Using Assessment Data For Informed Decision-Making In Catholic High Schools, David Chambers

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

School leaders and principals have an obligation to use every tool at their disposal to maximize student achievement. All students deserve the best use of data to inform the decision-making of those entrusted to deliver the finest education available to them. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of principals in Los Angeles Archdiocesan high schools about the use of assessment data in their schools by finding how they were using assessment data to inform curricular and pedagogical decisions, and then determining what factors affect the use of assessment data to inform their curricular decision-making.

This study …

Principals As Partners In Change: Insights On Common Core State Standards Implementation, Brian Lucas

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Since the introduction of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in 2010, the education world has experienced a paradigm shift in the pedagogical expectations of educators, and there have been a decidedly mixed results on the implementation of the new standards. This qualitative study explored the experiences of several school administrators across urban and suburban school settings in their implementation of the CCSS. Set within a practitioner-based framework of Dr. Michael Fullan’s drivers of change, this study examined the common large-scale change implementation strategies that were successful and those that provided the most obstacles to administrators, and identifies specific actions …

The Schooling Experiences Of African American Males Attending Predominately White Independent Schools, Dana Adams Coleman

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to examine the schooling experiences of African American males attending predominately White independent schools in California. Using Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework and the factors contributing to schooling experiences, this qualitative research explores the role of student self-perception, teacher expectations, and parent involvement as contributing factors to participants overall schooling experiences. Utilizing counterstorytelling as a means of capturing the rich narratives shared by the participants, data analysis included holistic content coding based on themes that emerged from narrative examination. Findings indicate how parent involvement became the overarching critical component that was most significant in positive …

"When Do We Play?": Administrator, Teacher, And Parent Perceptions Of Play In A Catholic Kindergarten Classroom, Aimée Eva Ramirez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Educational reforms have created a climate of accountability and high academic pressure that has resulted in a pushing down of the curriculum into early childhood education. Once a prominent pedagogical feature, play is disappearing from kindergarten. The following is a doctoral dissertation that studied administrator, teacher, and parent perceptions of play and its role within the kindergarten curriculum at a Catholic elementary school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Using a qualitative case study method, the study noted how play was utilized in transitional kindergarten and traditional kindergarten classrooms at the school site. Interviews, classroom observations, and document review of school …

Ball Is Life: Black Male Student-Athletes Narrate Their Division I Experiences, Eno Attah Meekins

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the experiences of Black male student-athletes in Division I sports and used critical race methodology to present counter narratives. These narratives highlighted successes and heightened awareness about the needs and concerns of an extremely important, but often silenced, population. The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of Black male student-athletes in the Division I revenue-generating sports of basketball and football. This study examined how Black males perceived the effectiveness of the NCAA supports in place for their academic success, degree attainment, and postcollegiate leadership and career opportunities. This dissertation also sought to understand …

The Power Of Empathy: A Critical Narrative Inquiry Of Cultural Competencies In New Teachers, Marcus K. Hughes, Sr.

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Given the large homogeneous workforce of predominately White, middle-class female K–12 educators combined with the rising population of diverse students in the United States and the disproportionate achievement gap of students of color compared to their White peers, I sought to discover how new millennial educators defined and used empathy to build their own cultural competencies as well as discover how these teachers used empathy to strengthen the teacherstudent relationships across cultural differences. Using the conceptual frameworks of Paulo Freire’s (1970) pedagogy and Wang et al.’s (2003) definition of ethno-cultural empathy, I conducted a critical narrative inquiry of five first-year …

Universal Design For Learning: A New Clinical Practice Assessment Tool Toward Creating Access And Equity For All Students, Diane Fogarty

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

To examine to what extent current general education pre-service teachers within a teacher preparation program at a private institution of higher education know and understand the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), expert focus groups were conducted. General education program syllabi were examined for UDL content and found to be lacking in such content. General education pre-service teachers videotaped lessons were reviewed for UDL content and were also found to be inadequate in demonstrating knowledge and understanding of Universal Design for Learning principles. Focus groups comprised of university fieldwork instructors and teacher education experts were asked to review and …

Transformative Community School Practices And Impacts: A Tale Of Two Community Schools, Aixle D. Aman

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Students are coming to school with myriad issues that teachers and schools cannot address alone. ecological systems theory posits that the environments with which a child comes into contact, either directly or indirectly, can impact her or his development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). With the support of community partner organizations in the local community, community schools can effectively respond to students’ needs and help them navigate the interconnected web of environments. Through interviews, focus groups, and a document review, this cross-site case study explored the practices that are employed by community school leaders (school staff and employees of community partner organizations) at …

Superintendent Turnover In Guam, Alvin Sanga

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Superintendent turnover has been rampant in the public school district in Guam, an unincorporated United States territory; there have been 18 superintendents since the 1981. This qualitative study aimed to identify and analyze potential factors affecting the superintendency in Guam. Social systems theory proposes a number of factors about the dynamics that define the relationship between an individual and a social system to help us understand the behavior of the individual within an organization. To triangulate the data, this study was comprised of individual interviews with Guam superintendents and content analysis of the Guam Public School Audit of 2009 and …

Hand Mudrās As A Practice Of Connecting To The Divine, Ana Maria Galarraga (Rydell)

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Forming And Supporting Lay Catholic Elementary School Principals As Spiritual Leaders, Erin C.O. Barisano

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The role of a Catholic school principal is complex and includes promoting Catholic faith and spirituality throughout the school community. The additional job requirements of spiritual leadership are intentional formation for prospective and novice principals and efforts to sustain spirituality for experienced principals. This qualitative study explored the perceptions held by experienced lay elementary principals of their role as spiritual leader as well as how prepared they felt to serve in this role. Additionally, the study explored suggestions for sustaining principals in their role as spiritual leader. Participants were six lay Catholic elementary principals working in the Archdiocese of Los …

Lived History Of A Transformative Leader With A Disability: An Evocative Autoethnography For Social Justice, Sofia Vergara

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Despite legal advancements recognizing the rights of individuals with disabilities, societal barriers are still arising from the medical model of disability. These obstacles have resulted in marginalizing and isolating practices, in turn leading to the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in the workforce and, by extension, in leadership positions.

Grounded in the frameworks of critical pedagogy and critical disability studies, this autoethnographic study examines, using my personal experiences as contextual evidence, the determining factors underlying the struggle for equity and leadership, within the hegemonic society that people with disabilities must navigate. The study further explores the issue of empowerment and …

A Critical Analysis Of Sexuality Education In The United States: Toward An Inclusive Curriculum For Social Justice, Tiffani Kocsis

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Sexuality education in public schools in the United States excludes a large population of students. These exclusions are due to a long history of legal and economic battles, as well as the politicized nature of adolescent sexuality. This critical interpretive inquiry explored the long history of sexuality education through the lens of economics, law, and psychological paradigms and examined the way in which each of these lenses furthered the exclusion of nonheterosexual males in curricula. Using a framework comprised of critical feminist theory, critical pedagogy, and queer theory, this manuscript provides an understanding of the social structures of sexuality education …

Listening To The Experts: Correctional And Community College Administrators’ Perceptions Of How Collaboration Contributes To The Public Value Of A Postsecondary Correctional Education Partnership, Luis S. Garcia

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This research examined correctional and community college administrators' perceptions of collaboration and the public value impact of a PSCE partnership through a systems thinking conceptual framework. Through interviews, observations, and document reviews, I determined how these perceptions aligned with the public value of a PSCE partnership. This was a basic qualitative study involving six participants from two public agencies. Findings from this study indicate that administrators recognized:

• Public Safety Realignment legislation contributed to the viability of a PSCE partnership in a county jail system.
• Public safety improvements in the county jail system promoted a jail environment to facilitate the success …

Educating The Whole Being: Yoga & Mindfulness In Schools, Trang Huynh

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.