Education Commons^™

Does Content Knowledge Matter In Scoring Teacher Work Samples?: A Study Of Rater Differences, Yana A. Cornish

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study examines the role of rater characteristics in the assessment of teacher practice as presented in Renaissance Teacher Work Samples (RTWS). The study analyzed ratings of 10 teacher work samples submitted by teacher candidates at the University of Northern Iowa between Fall 2000 and Spring 2004. These teacher work samples, created in the area of Spanish language learning at 7-11 grade levels, were analyzed to determine the impact of content expertise, amount of teaching experience, and previous RTWS rating experience on reviewer's ratings. Three study questions form the foundation for the investigation:

(1) Is there a significant difference between …

A Case Study Of A Rural Iowa School Preparing To Meet New State Guidelines For School Libraries [Dissertation], Karla Steege Krueger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The national school library guidelines place the greatest emphasis upon the teaching and learning component of school library programs led by professional school librarians. Despite findings linking school library programming, including instruction by professional school librarians, to increased student achievement on standardized tests and improved content learning through student inquiry using library resources, the importance of the instructional role of the school librarian remains largely unrecognized by administrators and teachers.

A qualitative case study of one rural Iowa elementary school provided insight into the issue of small schools without library programs as they are preparing to meet the Iowa reinstatement …

A Journey Of Advising: Experiences Of Doctoral International Students And Faculty Advisors In The College Of Education At A Midwestern University, Madalina Florentina Tincu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the last five decades, higher education in the United States has faced a large influx of international students (Institute of International Education, 2004). However, a review of selected literature showed a paucity of research on faculty advising graduate international students. The literature pointed out that not all institutions were prepared to work with the international student population (Adrian-Taylor, Noels, & Tischler, 2007; Khabiri, 1985; Seeger, 1993) and that further investigation was needed in the area of faculty advising related to international students (Adrian-Taylor, et al.; Trice, 2003). Therefore, this study focused on the following research question: How do selected …

Reframed Teacher Leadership: A Narrative Inquiry, Cynthia L. Kenyon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Teacher leadership has been in schools from the time teachers rang the school bells. Three waves of teacher leadership have been examined. The first wave focused on formal managerial positions such as department chairs, the second wave focused on curriculum and staff development, and the third wave focused on daily acts of collaboration to solve problems and provide professional development activities for staffs. This study explored the third wave practice of teacher leaders in a qualitative study focusing on the narratives of 11 teacher leaders.

A narrative of lives format was used to study leadership experiences. A pilot study was …

Effects Of Problem Solving Team Processes On Student Outcomes, Brooke A. Dahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Systematic data collection and case documentation are vital components in the consultative problem solving process. Carefully documented and easily understood data allow problem solving teams to make informed decisions about intervention development and implementation, as well as future programming for struggling students. The Instructional Consultation (IC) Team Model was developed as an organized and efficient process for conducting pre-referral problem solving (Rosenfield, 1987). The present research explores the relationship between processes and/or procedures as prescribed by the IC Team Model and student outcomes. Processes utilized by problem solving teams following the IC Team Model and other models of problem solving …

Upper Elementary Teachers' Perception Of The Pre-Referral Process, Lyndi Meyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Teacher acceptance of the pre-referral process can have a significant effect on students in the classroom. This study examined upper elementary teachers perceptions of the pre-referral process. The pre-referral process was observed and upper elementary teachers were interviewed. Four themes related to upper elementary teachers' perception of the pre-referral process were identified: (a) decisions about referral, (b) impact of referral, (c), frustrations, and (d) suggestions for improvement. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research and practice are discussed.

School Counselors' Perceptions Of The Needs Of Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Sarah Wakefield

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Children of incarcerated parents are a population that have specialized needs. While previous research has explored the effects of parental incarceration on children and their needs, the current study evaluated schools' awareness of such effects and the resources they have to meet those needs. Because the majority of children attend school, schools are an appropriate setting for such interventions and services. The current study showed that school counselors are not aware of all of the students affected by parental incarceration, they need additional information concerning specific issues and needs associated with parental incarceration, and they believe their schools lack the …

Now Have We Gotten It Right?: Exploring The Special Education Referral Process, Janine Sue Wahl

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This qualitative inquiry explored the special education referral process as understood and implemented by two first grade teachers in a rural school. Both were interviewed and their classes observed; team meetings about their referrals were attended and recorded. The results of these observations were examined through the beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning by the two teachers.

Each teacher referred two students into the process during this study, but none of the four students was found eligible for special education services during first grade. Through a cross-case analysis of the teachers and these students, distinct differences and commonalities were …

Supporting School Persistence : An Examination Of Student Experiences In An Alternative High School, Molly O'Connor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many researchers have investigated the problem of high school dropouts and the role of traditional schools in supporting· students' academic persistence. Despite traditional schools' efforts to support academic persistence, they are not meeting the needs of many students. Alternative schools have become increasingly available to support the needs of at-risk students. This is a qualitative case study, which examines how the experiences of students have been supported at a Midwestern alternative high school. Four themes emerged as being important to supporting student's academic . persistence: (a) positive relationships with teachers, (b) classes structured to meet needs, (c) student empowerment, and …

The Reflexivity Of Pain And Privilege: An Autoethnography Of (Mestizo) Identity And Other Mestizo Voices, Ellis Hurd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Approximately 20 million Latinos living in the United States identify as Mestizos. A Mestizo is a person of mixed heritage. Almost half of these Mestizos racially or culturally identify as White, while the other half identify as Hispanic or racially mixed. These racial and cultural identifications have vast effects on educational performance: those identifying themselves as Hispanic or mixed experience lower academic achievement whereas those identifying as White do not. Many communities have experienced an influx of Mestizo-Latinos, but are ill prepared for the educational challenges due to the language and cultural differences Mestizos bring. This researcher himself has experienced …

Home-School Collaboration : Strategies For Improvement, Kelly O'Bryan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Home-school collaboration, the manner in which overt partnerships among schools, families, and the community are established, has been shown to be beneficial to all parties involved. Although the benefits of collaboration are known, empirical strategies to accomplish these benefits remain lacking in the literature. The current study examines the specific types of school practices occurring at the secondary level, as gathered through the 2003 Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey, and whether those practices predict involvement. Although parent education, parental work - . hours, personal notes from school, and memos from school were significant predictors of parent attendance at …

Disability And Difference: Adolescents' Interpretations Based On Television Viewing, Paula Anne Schmidt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was conducted in order to decipher adolescent interpretations of disability that were portrayed on television. Employing qualitative methodology and methods, I conducted focus groups with adolescents during which they viewed television programs containing portrayals of characters with disabilities, or otherwise defining differences. The sixth grade participants freely shared their perspectives of the programs and characters in addition to their thoughts about the nature of difference in general.

Although I originally intended to interpret adolescents' reactions toward characters with disabilities, I found that it was not only characters with disabilities that they viewed in a judgmental manner. As the …

“She Called Me A Mexican!”: A Study Of Ethnic Identity, Simona Florentina Boroianu

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Ethnic identity is a dynamic construct whose conceptualization has raised ongoing controversy among researchers. It has been suggested that ethnic identity includes several components that can be examined individually or in combination.

The purpose of this paper is to study ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children, as one of the multifaceted aspects of the adaptation process that immigrant children experience in their transition to becoming a part of the United States' mainstream culture.

No formal assessment of ethnic identity in Mexican-origin children in Iowa has been conducted yet, therefore this study is meant to fill a gap and bring in knowledge …

The Impact Of A C.A.R.E. Based Martial Arts Class On Students' Academic Achievement, Peer Relationships, And Social Interactions, David Hite Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

What is the goal of education in America today? Why is education so important to our society? Why do we spend millions of dollars each year towards the success of America's educational system? What processes and procedures should be employed to insure an efficient and effective education for all individuals? These questions and more arise as we consider the current academic, social, and economic climate of America, as well as the rest of the world; and the role education has played in shaping our past, impacting our present, and directing our future as individuals of a free society. Abraham Lincoln …

Women Chief Information Officers In Higher Education: Voices From The Field, Marilyn J. Ziesman Drury

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The lived experiences of women higher education Chief Information Officers (CIOs) were investigated and documented in this qualitative study. Three women higher education CIOs provided their perspectives on the opportunities and obstacles encountered as they pursued and achieved their current positions. These women's stories were gathered under a conceptual framework focusing on the intersection of applicable elements from gendered organizational theory, feminist standpoint theory, and occupational jurisdiction. Methods of overcoming obstacles and facilitating opportunities were discussed in relation to their lived lives and experiences. Examining institutional gendered norms accentuated the thoughts, values, practices, and processes that lead to muted women's …

Thriving, Coping, Surviving, Hoping: Negotiating The First Year Of Teaching, Debrah Jean Fordice

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In this qualitative study, I examined how four teachers negotiated their first year of teaching. All four teachers graduated from the same teacher preparation program, and secured general elementary positions in the same school district where they conducted some or all of their clinical coursework. I explored the factors that shaped the practice of these first-year teachers.

Annie, a 23-year-old, single, female marathon runner, with a vision to work with children in an inner-city setting, secured a position as a first grade teacher at a school where 85% of the children lived in poverty. Rachel, 24 years old, newly-married, and …