Education Commons^™

New Era Of Teaching, Learning, And Technology: Teachers’ Perceived Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Towards Differentiated Instruction, Robin A. Millen, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Shifting from an industrial model of education to a model that best provides students with differentiated instruction (Tomlinson, 2014) requires educational philosophical change (Fullan, 2014) as well as innovation diffusion (Rogers, 2003). The problem is not the amount of research that exists on differentiation, the diffusion of innovations, or the change process. The problem is what new technological pedagogical content knowledge (Koehler & Mishra, 2008) do educators need to make this change process happen? How is this knowledge communicated to finally change the “fundamental processes of schooling” (Elmore, 1996, p. 4)?

This sequential, mixed-methods study addressed the following condensed research …

The Relationship Of Reading Motivation And Self-Efficacy To Reading Achievement, Jessica Lynn Hedges, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Academic motivation and self-efficacy (Bandura 1977, 1986, 1993, 1997) are fast becoming critical areas of literacy instruction and determining factors of overall reading achievement and life-long application (Applegate & Applegate, 2010; Marinak & Gambrell, 2008; McClure, 2008; Melnick, Henk, & Marinak, 2009). This concurrent mixed methods study examined the relationship of reading motivation and self-efficacy with respect to reading achievement for N=487 grade 5-8 suburban middle school level students. All participants completed the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ), the Reader Self Perception Scale 2 (RSPS2), and the AIMSWeb curriculum-based measurement instrument. In addition, N=4 content expert interviews were conducted. Quantitative …

Aligning Professional Development To An Educator Evaluation System To Support Teachers, Kathleen A. Torregrossa, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

The professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers in a K-12 district were examined to determine the extent to which they related to, and supported, the teachers’ rating on their evaluations. This district addressed teacher evaluation and teacher professional development jointly with their local and state level teachers’ unions with the collective “conception of teacher evaluation as part of a teaching and learning system that supports continuous improvement” (Darling-Hammond, 2014, p. 5).

This mixed-methods study examined the perceived confidence of educators in relation to their PD needs and their evaluation standards utilizing an online questionnaire and a focus group to address …

A Mixed Methods Study Of The Causes Of Chronic Absenteeism In A Large, Urban High School, Michaela Keegan, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Failing to graduate from high school can be related to problems during adulthood, individually for students who drop out and collectively on communities and the nation as a whole (Balfanz & Byrnes, 2012; Balfanz, Herzog, & MacIver, 2007; Orfield, 2004; Providence Public, 2012). Two factors, attendance and self-efficacy, have been linked to academic achievement and graduation rates and were the focus of this study.

Recent studies suggest a strong relationship between students’ attendance rates and graduation rates. A study of 9th graders in Chicago found that students with satisfactory attendance graduate at a higher rate than those with chronic absenteeism. …

The Relationship Between Academic-Efficacy And Persistence In Adult Remedial Education: A Replication Study, Carol L. Holmquist, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

Self-efficacy is considered a construct influencing persistence (Bandura 1997, 2001, 2012). For adults pursuing academic remediation in preparation for higher education, persistence is a specific barrier to success in approximately 50% of cases. This study examined the relationships between general self-efficacy and academic-efficacy constructs with adult remedial education persistence for N = 88 students, and found a lack of relationship consistent with the earlier sample of students (Holmquist, Gable, & Billups, 2013). Further, few relationships were found with selected student demographic characteristics.

Inquiry-Based Instruction – Cultivating Analytical Habits Of Mind With 21st Century Skills: A Qualitative Study, Kimberly A. Laliberte, Robert K. Gable, Felice D. Billups

K-12 Education

Significant challenges face the United States regarding global competition as 21st century workforce skills lag behind corporate demands in STEM-based careers (Bucher, 2011; Campbell & Pedersen, 2007; Kramer, 2010; Savitz & Elias, 2011; Scott, 2007). Strategic interventions for inquiry-based, 21st century skills development are of grave necessity for K-12 education to encourage post-secondary STEM opportunities (Abaidoo, 2012; Mouhammed, 2009; Porter & Rivkin, 2012; Rombel, 2012).

This study investigated inquiry techniques in K-12 urban classrooms where greatest equity gaps reside and explored teacher self-efficacy with respect to promoting 21st century skills. Changes needed to promote sustainable, inquiry-based, analytic habits of mind …

Supporting New Teachers: Aligning Professional Development To Educator Evaluation Data, Kathleen A. Torregrossa, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

Professional development programs and teacher evaluation systems should go hand-in-hand to support teachers across all career stages (Danielson, 2007). The professional development (PD) opportunities in a K-12 district were examined to determine the extent to which they related to, and supported, the novice teachers’ rating on their evaluations. This district addressed teacher evaluation and teacher professional development jointly with their local and state level teachers’ unions with the collective “conception of teacher evaluation as part of a teaching and learning system that supports continuous improvement” (Darling-Hammond, 2014, p. 5). However, in 2014/15, this district did not have a mentoring/induction program …

Closing The Gap Between Technological And Best Practice Innovations: Tpack And Di, Robin A. Millen, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Implementing differentiated instruction with the fast changing landscape of technology is a complex process (Fullan, 2014; Tomlinson; 2014) and requires widespread diffusion of multiple innovations by educators (Meyer, 2004). However, most U.S. classrooms remain stagnant in their attempts to successfully incorporate innovative pedagogies (Darling-Hammond, 2010; November, 2014; Prensky, 2010; Robinson, 2011). Thus Fullan (2014) reported, “The time is right to bring together knowledge of systems change, new pedagogies and technologies that allow change to scale through diffusion” (p. 13).

To understand this problem, this pragmatic, mixed-methods study (Creswell, 2009) collected data through the following condensed research questions: What are the …

Closing Intraschool Achievement Gaps: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

This pilot project was designed to explore the degree to which educators closed identified intraschool achievement gaps (i.e. gaps occurring between sub-groups of students in the same school,), as well as to explore leaders, teachers, and staff perspectives on the ways their beliefs, assumptions and practices shifted while engaging in the effort to close the gaps.

Relevance Of Oral Language Skillsthe Relevance Of Oral Language Skills To Performance On State Literacy Testing, Alison F. Bateson-Toupin, Susan A. Brady, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Purpose: Investigated correspondences between performance on an array of literacy and oral language abilities with the proficiency ratings on the reading portion of the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP).

Method: Tested 106 fifth-grade students on measures of word-level reading and oral language (i.e., vocabulary, syntax, discourse) near the time when students completed the NECAP assessment. Analyses of performance were conducted with three NECAP outcome groups (Above Proficient, Proficient, Nonproficient (combination of Partially Proficient and Substantially Below groups).

Results: Large effect sizes were obtained for differences in oral language and word-level reading skills among the three groups. …

Validation Of The Secondary School Admission Test (Ssat) Using Gpa, Psat, And Sat Scores, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Persistence In Adult Remedial Education, Carol L. Holmquist, Robert K. Gable, Felice D. Billups

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Implementing School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention And Supports In An Alternative School Setting, Erica Evans, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

In spite of research documenting the negative effects of punishment, most high schools and correctional facilities rely on punishment to establish order and compliance with rules and routines (Nelson, Sprague, Jolivette, Smith, & Tobin, 2009). One alternative to punitive consequences is School Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS). Since research on the implementation of SWPBIS in correctional facilities is limited, this mixed method study evaluated the effects of the implementation of SWPBIS on problem behavior, academic achievement, and social behavior of students in a juvenile corrections facility. Stufflebeam’s evaluation model was used as a framework for the study (Stufflebeam …

Assistive Technology: Identifying Professional Development Needs Of Independent School Teachers, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.

Admissions Counselors’ Perceptions Of Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Correlates Of Student Success At An Independent High School: A Mixed Methods Study, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

“Through the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of students, admission and enrollment management professionals play a critical role in their schools’ vitality and educational culture” (NAIS, 2012, para. 2). According to the Principles of Good Practice, stated by NAIS (2012), through the admission process schools seek to ensure an appropriate match between prospective students/families and the school. For admission professionals to make the most effective decisions for both the school and applicant, they gather materials to get to know the student on a deeper level. These materials include, but are not limited to, a formal application, transcripts (often from the past …

Transforming Equity-Oriented Leaders: Principal Residency Network Program Evaluation, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

After 12 years focused on developing school leaders who act as change agents for educational equity, the Principal Residency Network (PRN) partnered with Johnson and Wales University’s Center for Research and Evaluation to conduct a utilization-focused (Patton, 2002) program evaluation funded by a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. The PRN is a principal preparation program of the non-profit organization, the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study explored PRN graduates’ outcomes and perceptions of the program, with an overarching purpose of creating a coherent data collection and inquiry process to be used by program …

An Examination Of Data-Sharing Procedures Of Former Juvenile Offenders Re-Enrolling Into Mainstream Public Schools, Thomas Richardson, Thomas Dipaola, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study examined school re-enrollment procedures employed by two school systems for N=578 former juvenile offenders re-enrolling from secured supervised settings to urban mainstream secondary public schools and alternative schools and programs in New England. Quantitative data regarding student demographics and qualitative data from interviews with 19 support personnel and selected documents were used to evaluate which program elements enhanced or disengaged former offenders from secondary urban schools. The characteristics of former juvenile offenders’ lack of school involvement with respect to truancy, school suspension and expulsion, learning, behavior, and emotional disabilities, as well as family, economic, and social disadvantages …

Perceptions Of Judges Toward Rigor Of High School Senior Capstone Projects At A Northern Ri Charter School, Michael A. Skeldon, Ralph Jasparro

K-12 Education

With trends toward high stakes testing moving inexorably forward, project-based components of Rhode Island's Performance Based Graduation system have been largely overlooked. Existing studies focus primarily on implementation of senior projects (Davidson, 2009; Lorenz, 1999; Mayer, 1999; Nicolini, 1999; Shaunessy, 2004; Singer & Hubbard, 2002). Some studies have found that increasing graduation requirements does not necessarily translate into rigor (Dounay, 2006; Lundsgaard, 2004). Less research exists on the lasting influence of projects as preparation for postsecondary pursuits (Egelson, Harman, & Bond, 2002; Pennacchia, 2010). Research on academic rigor is largely focused upon increasing course requirements (ACT, 2005; Christie, 2000; Kirst …

School Safety Planning: Barriers To Implementation Perceived By District Leadership And First Responders, David J. Alba, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study explored the perceptions of district and first responder leadership (N = 6) with respect to school crisis preparedness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a stratified purposeful sampling of school, police, and fire/rescue personnel who were primarily responsible for the planning, training, and implementation of district safety policies. Overarching themes were: desire for coherence among procedures with guidance from the state level; and, ambiguity of roles and responsibilities in the event of a crisis. Participants believed the onus to foster inter-agency partnerships was the responsibility of either the state, or the partnering agencies. In addition, while the importance …

Characteristics Of At-Risk Students, Michael Sollitto, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study focused on a major problem facing today’s educators: high school dropouts. Research questions addressed differences in teacher perspectives of the characteristics of struggling students. Differences in teachers’ perspectives based on teaching level (elementary & secondary) were examined. The researcher conducted focus groups with a total of 12 teachers. The research was conducted in two suburban districts. Focus group questions were designed following a survey administered to 108 suburban public school teachers. The survey responses reported previously identified four dimensions of characteristics of at-risk students: behavior, achievement, family involvement, and family background. The data from the focus groups can …

Former Juvenile Offenders Re-Enrolling Into Mainstream Public Schools, Thomas Richardson, Thomas Dipaola, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study examined school re-enrollment procedures employed by two school systems for N=578 former juvenile offenders re-enrolling from secured supervised settings to urban mainstream secondary public schools and alternative schools and programs in New England. Quantitative data regarding student demographics and qualitative data from interviews with 19 support personnel and selected documents were used to evaluate which program elements enhanced or disengaged former offenders from secondary urban schools. The characteristics of former juvenile offenders’ lack of school involvement with respect to truancy, school suspension and expulsion, learning, behavior, and emotional disabilities, as well as family, economic, and social disadvantages were …

Crisis Preparedness: Do School Administrators And First Responders Feel Ready To Act?, David J. Alba, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A majority of public school districts have developed crisis preparedness plans; however, policy and procedural implementation is inconsistent across schools, districts, and states. Furthermore, while the literature regarding best practice in school safety recommends conducting a variety of drills in conjunction with first responders, there is little research literature that examines the perceptions of the personnel responsible for the planning and implementation of these types of collaborative efforts (Graham, Shirm, Liggin, Aitken, & Dick, 2006; Kano & Bourque, 2007; United States Government Accounting Office, 2007). This study explored the perceptions of 60 Rhode Island school principals, three district-level administrators, and …

Beginning Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Differentiate Instruction For Diverse Learners, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of Preparedness (28 items, alpha = .96) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. The following areas presented challenges to teachers when attempting differentiation: pre-existing ideas of how to teach which contradict differentiation, misinformation regarding differentiation, and classroom management skills. …

Perspectives Of Suburban Public School Teachers On The Characteristics Of Students At-Risk For Dropping Out Of School, Michael J. Sollitto, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

This study focuses on a major problem facing today’s educators: high school dropouts. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the reasons that students drop out of school and programs that may address the needs of students at-risk for dropping out of school. Literature in this area was reviewed to identify what can be learned from these studies. Research questions addressed differences in teacher perspectives of the characteristics of elementary, middle, and high school struggling students. Differences in teachers’ perspectives based on tenure and type of teaching assignment were examined. A sequential, mixed methods approach was taken. The researchers began …

Teacher Professional Development In One K-12 School District In Rhode Island: A Study Of Perceptions, Casale B. Maryann, Ralph Jasparro

K-12 Education

The purpose of the qualitative phase of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of professional development and the extent to which teachers believe it expands their knowledge and skills and improves student learning. Teachers from an urban ring district in Rhode Island were asked to participate in a focus group discussion. A thorough analysis of the content of the responses to focus group questions was completed. In general, teachers felt that the most effective professional development experiences had been on topics of their choice and those facilitated by teachers. According to focus group results, collaboration and relevancy were two …

Virtual Education In Rhode Island’S K-12 Public Schools: Current Status And Perceptions Of Administrators, Barbara C. Morse, Ralph Jasparro

K-12 Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and extent of virtual education implementation in Rhode Island‟s K-12 public schools, and to explore the school administrators‟ perceived importance of and barriers to implementation of distance learning in their schools. The study also explored if there were differences in the perceptions of administrators based on location and school structure. In 2009, Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Deborah A. Gist announced a statewide reform agenda that included establishing a statewide virtual high school (Projo.com, 2009). Unlike traditional education, administrators seeking resources to aide in virtual program formulation will find a …

Implementation Of Formative Assessment Strategies Perceived By High School Students And Teachers: Professional Development Implications, Ralph Jasparro, Rosemary Burns

K-12 Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate three questions relating to formative assessment. Question 1 examined the level of implementation of formative assessment strategies among high school teachers and students. Question 2 analyzed the level of agreement between teachers and students perceptions of levels of implementation of formative assessment strategies. Finally, Question 3 investigated the relationship of the disciplines teachers taught; the amount and kinds of professional development teachers had; and district urbanicity relative to teacher levels of implementation of formative assessment strategies.

The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michelle Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

Shared practice in schools has emerged; teachers are moving from isolation to team collaboration where personality traits could be related to quality interactions. Team personality traits and team satisfaction were examined. A survey and interview approach was used for N = 244 full-time teachers from N = 49 interdisciplinary teams at N = 7 middle schools. Descriptive, correlational, multiple regression analyses and coded themes about team members’ personalities and interactions were employed. No significant relationships were found between the BFI traits and Satisfaction with the Team. Team-level analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Satisfaction with the Team and Extraversion …

Teenagers’ Reasons For Listening To Music And The Students’ Perception Of The Effects Of Listening When Completing School Assignments, Jennifer Adriano, Thomas Dipaola

K-12 Education

Music is a significant part of our lives. People listen to music on the radio at home and in their car; they watch music videos on television or hand held technology; they buy CDs or download music; and they attend concerts. People also hear music in stores, restaurants, sporting events, and doctors’ offices (Schellenberg, Peretz, & Vieillard, 2008). Music is very important to many adolescents and they spend a considerable amount of their time listening to music. One study with N = 2,465 adolescents ages 13 and 14 found that participants listened to music for an average of 2.45 hours …

Knowledge And Understanding Of The 21st Century Skills Through Educator Externships: Programs In Southern New England, Lizann R. Gibson, Gary G. Gray

K-12 Education

This study utilized the body of knowledge that exists on emergent workforce development issues, the characteristics of the Millennial generation as they relate to the increasingly high drop-outs rates and the globalization of the workplace, the need for 21st Century Skills to be incorporated into the K-12 curriculum, and an authentic professional development experience for teachers, the educator externship.

The Educator Externship experience is a statistically viable method of authentic professional development to help teachers provide the educational experience that their students, the Millennial generation, are demanding.

The data from this study statistically showed that the Educator Externship Experience as …