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2013

Virginia Commonwealth University

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Special Education Teachers' Perspectives On The Implementation Of Functional Behavior Assessment In Schools, Joy Engstrom Dec 2013

Special Education Teachers' Perspectives On The Implementation Of Functional Behavior Assessment In Schools, Joy Engstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of challenging and violent behaviors that pose risks to the overall safety and the educational learning experience in the public education setting have been on the rise in recent years. Traditional reactive, coercive, and punitive measures to address these behaviors have been futile. Congress responded to the national increase in violent behaviors by implementing several acts, including zero tolerance policies, in an effort to diminish the rise in violent behaviors. Of significance to this study was the inclusion of Functional Behavior Assessment in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997. Unfortunately, FBA has the …


The Prioritization Of Student Mental Health In The School Setting: Secondary Administrators' And Educators' Knowledge Of Adolescent Suicidal Risk Factors And Warning Signs, Chiquita Elliott Nov 2013

The Prioritization Of Student Mental Health In The School Setting: Secondary Administrators' And Educators' Knowledge Of Adolescent Suicidal Risk Factors And Warning Signs, Chiquita Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the knowledge level of secondary building-level administrators and secondary teachers regarding adolescent suicidal risk factors and warning signs. Additionally, this study contributed a social mediation component, to explore whether educators believe that they have the potential to be change agents for youth in their school communities. Three hundred forty-three participants (318 teachers, 18 assistant principals and 7 principals) from the middle and high schools in a local public school district in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States completed a survey pertaining to information on adolescent suicide. Data analyses were conducted through detailed cross-tabulations and analysis of …


Completing College: A Longitudinal Examination Of Potential Antecedents Of Success In Post-Secondary Education For Students With Disabilities, Edwin Achola Jul 2013

Completing College: A Longitudinal Examination Of Potential Antecedents Of Success In Post-Secondary Education For Students With Disabilities, Edwin Achola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the antecedent conditions that contribute to post-secondary education (PSE) completion for students with disabilities, taking into account institutional experiences associated with social integration. A prospective longitudinal design was used to analyze data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. The study sample consisted of youth who were currently enrolled in vocational schools, two-year community colleges, and four-year universities six years after high school exit. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between pre-entry variables and PSE completion. To test the hypothesis of mediation, the causal step approach (Baron & Kenny, 1986) was …


Negotiating The Double Mandate: Mapping Ethical Conflict Experienced By Practicing Educational Leaders, Jeffrey Mcgee Jun 2013

Negotiating The Double Mandate: Mapping Ethical Conflict Experienced By Practicing Educational Leaders, Jeffrey Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

The qualitative approach used in this study captured and described ethical conflict experienced by a sample of practicing educational leaders. Narrative inquiry data were collected from 42 former and current doctoral students and additional data were captured through follow-up interviews with selected participants. The major findings of the study suggest that ethical conflict is inherent in the practice of educational leadership. Such conflict is most often experienced in relation to colleagues when the ethics of justice and care collide. Leaders’ ability to mitigate conflict that is often the result of institutional and external factors is promoted by varied background and …


Training Needs Of Paraprofessionals Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kira Austin May 2013

Training Needs Of Paraprofessionals Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kira Austin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand professional development for paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD in Virginia. This understanding was reached through explanatory, sequential mixed methods design. Surveys and interviews provided insight into training practices, training needs, and training barriers. An interpretation of their professional development was developed through considering the perceptions of paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD, teachers of students with ASD, and directors of special education. Findings revealed a lack of supervision, training, and skills. The lack of training and supervision resulted in paraprofessionals learning through trial and error. Paraprofessionals supporting students with ASD felt qualified to …


The Effects Of Sleep Problems And Depression On Alcohol-Related Negative Consequences Among College Students, Mcgann Amanda Wattenmaker May 2013

The Effects Of Sleep Problems And Depression On Alcohol-Related Negative Consequences Among College Students, Mcgann Amanda Wattenmaker

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature provides an overview of the multiple relationships between alcohol use, protective behavioral strategies (PBS), alcohol-related negative consequences, depression, and sleep problems among college students, as well as differences by individual level characteristics, such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Several studies have found that specific demographic groups of students are more likely to reach a higher blood alcohol content (BAC) when “partying” or socializing (Turner, Bauerle, & Shu, 2004; Crotty, 2011). A variety of studies have also confirmed the positive relationship between high blood alcohol content and experiencing alcohol-related negative consequences (Turner, et al., 2004; Martens, Taylor, Damann, Page, …


Predictors Of Success For High School Students Enrolled In Online Courses In A Single District Program, David Rankin May 2013

Predictors Of Success For High School Students Enrolled In Online Courses In A Single District Program, David Rankin

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth in online learning opportunities and online courses in K-12 education is well documented in the literature. Studies conducted by various researchers that have focused on the K-12 population of online learners demonstrate that certain online learner characteristics and online learning environment characteristics may impact the likelihood of students passing or failing online courses. Research has produced models that predict online course success with measurable degrees of accuracy. This descriptive study examines characteristics of students enrolled in online high school courses provided by a virtual learning program administered by a single Virginia public school district. The study determined …


Assessing Arts Educators: How The Performances Of Public And Private High School Art Teachers Are Assessed In Virginia, Jill Palumbo May 2013

Assessing Arts Educators: How The Performances Of Public And Private High School Art Teachers Are Assessed In Virginia, Jill Palumbo

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher assessment is a hot topic in today’s high-stakes, test-driven, accountability-focused educational environment. My recent research addresses how high school art educators, under the umbrella of non-tested subjects and grades, are assessed in their classroom teaching practices in Virginia. Based on my findings, it is clear that while the teachers surveyed do not fear accountability, they are wary of being evaluated by those who lack the content knowledge in the arts, by methods that are subjective, and with criteria that is inflexible. This thesis addresses the need to develop open forums that include the educator’s voice in order to create …


An Assessment Of The Perceived Instructional Leadership Behaviors Of Assistant Prinicpals, Ronald Atkinson Jr. Apr 2013

An Assessment Of The Perceived Instructional Leadership Behaviors Of Assistant Prinicpals, Ronald Atkinson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the extent to which the role of the assistant principal is perceived to include instructional leadership behaviors. Specifically, this study compared the perceptions of instructional leadership practices of elementary, middle, and high school assistant principals from the perspectives of assistant principals, principals, and teachers. A nonexperimental comparative design was used. Quantitative data were collected via a version of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale that was adapted for application to assistant principals. Analysis of variance, independent-samples t-test, correlation, and nonresponse bias analysis were conducted. Effect size and standard error were calculated. Results indicated that the mean scores …


Role Clarity And Instructional Technology Support: A Naturalistic Examination Of Various Perceptions Of The Role Of The Itrt Within And Across Three High Schools, Ann Nash Apr 2013

Role Clarity And Instructional Technology Support: A Naturalistic Examination Of Various Perceptions Of The Role Of The Itrt Within And Across Three High Schools, Ann Nash

Theses and Dissertations

Role clarity for any individual leads to more successful implementation of his or her job expectations. In a school, there are many individuals with various roles to fill. The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) has multiple roles within a school including: training teachers, designing integrated curriculum, managing learning resources, modeling instructional strategies, acting as a technology resource, assisting content specialists, and preview and recommending software. This study found that stakeholders in schools consistently recognize the ITRT as both a trainer and designer of integrated lessons. Other instructional support roles are recognized only by some stakeholders in schools. When a greater …


An Analysis Of Mathematics Achievement Disparities Between Black And White Students And Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And Advantaged Students Across Content Strands By Elementary And Middle School Level In A Diverse Virginia School District, Benjamin Lewis Apr 2013

An Analysis Of Mathematics Achievement Disparities Between Black And White Students And Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And Advantaged Students Across Content Strands By Elementary And Middle School Level In A Diverse Virginia School District, Benjamin Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Student achievement gaps between Black and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, have been observed and formally documented since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) began in the 1970s. In particular, the mathematics achievement gap between these historically disadvantaged populations has been a phenomenon that, in spite of improvements, has nevertheless remained persistent for decades. This study sought to identify and derive additional information about the mathematics achievement gap between Black students and White students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged and advantaged students, by elementary and middle school level in a Virginia school district over three consecutive school years. …


Contexts Matter: The Relationship Between School Wide Student Demographics And Graduation Rates, Philip Riddle Apr 2013

Contexts Matter: The Relationship Between School Wide Student Demographics And Graduation Rates, Philip Riddle

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 60 years after the Supreme Court Decision in Brown, segregation is still an ingrained facet of American public education. This study investigated the extent to which these continued patterns of segregation influenced graduation rates from high school. The study used data provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) on the 2011 graduating cohorts in 302 public high schools across the state. The results indicate that graduation rates for all students vary significantly as a function of the overall socioeconomic and racial composition of high schools. In addition, low-income students are significantly more likely to graduate in low-poverty high …


A Comparison Of Legal Literacy Among Teacher Subgroups, Candace Mirabile Apr 2013

A Comparison Of Legal Literacy Among Teacher Subgroups, Candace Mirabile

Theses and Dissertations

A COMPARISON OF LEGAL LITERACY AMONG TEACHER SUBGROUPS By Candace Partridge Mirabile, Ph. D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Professor, Educational Leadership, School of Education This study determined the level of legal literacy among classroom teachers in a suburban metropolitan division in Virginia. I have focused on aspects of the law that relate to student safety and student rights, and my operational definition of legal literacy is the understanding of these laws. The results from 239 respondents indicated …


The Impact Of Black Teacher Mentors On White Beginning Teachers, Wendi Moss Apr 2013

The Impact Of Black Teacher Mentors On White Beginning Teachers, Wendi Moss

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to determine the mentoring process Black mentors used when mentoring White beginning teachers. Five mentors and their six mentees were surveyed and interviewed to find how cross-race mentoring processes in an urban school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia work. Seven themes emerged from the study: (a) perceptions of the mentoring process; (b) perceptions of classroom management; (c) perceptions of school quality; (d) perceptions of urban teaching; (e) perceptions of White advantage; and (f) presence of White privilege.


Art Education And The Encouragement Of Affective And Cognitive Empathy In Early Childhood, Luke Meeken Apr 2013

Art Education And The Encouragement Of Affective And Cognitive Empathy In Early Childhood, Luke Meeken

Theses and Dissertations

This study constructs a theoretical framework for exploring the relationship between art education practice and the development of empathy in early childhood. In this study, I construct a schema for the experience of empathy in kindergarten-aged students, derived from the work of Martin Hoffman, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Vittorio Gallese, which acknowledges both the affective and cognitive dimensions of the experience of empathy. This schema is examined within the context of aesthetic and artistic experience, as distinguished from each other by John Dewey. I articulate several ways that art education’s cultivation of subtle aesthetic perception may encourage affective empathy, and its …


The Cross-Linguistic Effects Of Dialogic Reading On Young Dual Language Learners, Mary Ellen Donovan Huennekens Mar 2013

The Cross-Linguistic Effects Of Dialogic Reading On Young Dual Language Learners, Mary Ellen Donovan Huennekens

Theses and Dissertations

English fluency is a strong predictor of later academic success in the U.S. (Espinosa, 2007) In fact, a child who enters kindergarten with weak English language skills is most at risk for academic failure and dropping out of school; while a child with strong home language (L1) skills is more likely to attain fluency in English (Espinosa, 2007). A large portion of young English learners are acquiring their first and second languages at the same time. It is important to young dual language learners (DLL) that research reveals the best ways to provide effective instruction which helps maintain the home …


The Career Path Of The Female Superintendent: Why She Leaves, Kerry Robinson Mar 2013

The Career Path Of The Female Superintendent: Why She Leaves, Kerry Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to determine the reasons why women leave the superintendency. This study not only illustrated the different ways a woman can leave the position of superintendent but also the reasons she would choose to leave. These reasons can be either positive or negative, but they rarely are the sole cause for why a woman leaves the position. This interview study of 20 female participants who served as superintendent in the Commonwealth of Virginia identified four main themes as to why a woman chose to leave the superintendency. These included: (a) it wasn’t the job …


A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Two Alternative Middle Schools: How Prepared Are Students For High School Success?, Theresa Kilmer Mar 2013

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Two Alternative Middle Schools: How Prepared Are Students For High School Success?, Theresa Kilmer

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of alternative middle school programs utilizing a longitudinal, mixed methods design and was driven by research questions which analyzed trends in attendance, discipline, and Standard of Learning test pass rates in history and science for 8th, 9th, and 10th grade. It also examined student perceptions concerning preparedness for high school, skills previously taught, transition to high school, and relationships with peers and adults. Data on attendance, discipline, and SOL scores were collected from 34 students from the 2009-2010 8th grade cohort who attended one of two alternative middle schools. Attendance data indicated …


The Experiences Of Young African American Women Principals, Tanya Roane Mar 2013

The Experiences Of Young African American Women Principals, Tanya Roane

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was designed to gain an understanding of how young African American women principals experience the principalship. Three research questions were explored in this study: (a.) What are the pathways to the principalship for young African American women? (b.) How do African American women experience the principalship? (c.) What are the barriers that young African American women experience and what are their strategies for success? The researcher examined the day-to-day experiences faced by these women as they related to race, gender, and age challenges within the field of education. Using qualitative research with Black Feminist Standpoint …


Home Schooling In Virginia: An Analysis Of The Fiscal Relationship Between Home Schooling And Virginia Public School Finances, Evelina Mcintire Davis Jan 2013

Home Schooling In Virginia: An Analysis Of The Fiscal Relationship Between Home Schooling And Virginia Public School Finances, Evelina Mcintire Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Home School Enrollment and Virginia Public School Finances. Enrollment trends were examined from Fall 2001 through Fall 2010 to determine if there was an increase in Home School Enrollment over the ten year examination period. Also, two sets of Virginia Standards of Quality Variables (SOQs), Expenditures (Instructional Salaries, Administrative Salaries, Per Pupil Expenditures) and Revenues (State Portion of Basic Aid, State Portion of ADM funds and Enumerated Funds) were examined in relation with Home School Enrollment to determine if Home School Enrollment influenced Virginia Public School Finances at all. …


Linear Perspective And Montage: Two Dominating Paradigms In Art Education, Charles R. Garoian Jan 2013

Linear Perspective And Montage: Two Dominating Paradigms In Art Education, Charles R. Garoian

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

As a former public high school art teacher, I was always puzzled by the common belief held by my students in what they referred to as the right way to represent images and ideas in their drawings and paintings. After years of producing art works during early childhood that appeared to be uninhibited in their expressive qualities, their world view in adolescence had shifted dramatically towards a preoccupation with photographic representation realism.


Reviews And Responses: Brown And Spitzer’S Public Folklore, Kristin G. Congdon Jan 2013

Reviews And Responses: Brown And Spitzer’S Public Folklore, Kristin G. Congdon

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Book review for Public Folklore, Robert Baron and N. R. Spitzer (Editors), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 1992.


Editorial: Preoccupy/Maximum Occupancy, Kryssi Staikidis Jan 2013

Editorial: Preoccupy/Maximum Occupancy, Kryssi Staikidis

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

When the Editor and Associate Editor conceived of this call for papers for PreOccupy/Maximum Occupancy, it was based on the Caucus members’ input during the annual meetings of the Caucus on Social Theory and Art Education (CSTAE) at the National Art Education Association conference, NAEA 2012, New York. We listened to our colleagues speak about the year’s events, and we discussed how we as art educators could respond to the needs of the Caucus and of our field for Volume 33 of the Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (JSTAE).


This Is What Democracy Looks Like: Art And The Wisconsin Uprising, Kim Cosier Jan 2013

This Is What Democracy Looks Like: Art And The Wisconsin Uprising, Kim Cosier

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In February of 2011, an enormous popular political movement came to life in Wisconsin. For many people who were engaged in the month-long occupation of the Capitol in Madison, the Wisconsin Uprising was their first experience with direct political action. For the artists who are the focus of this article, taking part in the Wisconsin Uprising seemed like a natural outgrowth of their many years of socially engaged artmaking. In this article, I offer a brief overview of the Wisconsin Uprising followed by a discussion of the contributions of the artists in the protests in the context of their larger …


The Journal Of Social Theory In Art Education Jan 2013

The Journal Of Social Theory In Art Education

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

No abstract provided.


Anonymous: The Occupy Movement And The Failure Of Representational Democracy, Jan Jagodzinski Jan 2013

Anonymous: The Occupy Movement And The Failure Of Representational Democracy, Jan Jagodzinski

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In this essay I try to make the case that the Occupy Movement can be thought through as a Post-Situationist art event which requires that it be thought of in terms of its pragmatic effects and what it can ‘do’ in relation to its viral spreading around major urban centers of the globe. I further try to make my case by utilizing the conceptual tool kit of Deleuze and Guattari; hence such ideas as sense-event, territory, virtual, and actual are part of this repertoire. I then try to further the complexity of Post-Situationism by including hacktivism and exploring the importance …


Poetic Occupations: Artists As Narrator-Protagonists, Jack Richardson Jan 2013

Poetic Occupations: Artists As Narrator-Protagonists, Jack Richardson

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

What does it mean to “occupy” space? Referencing the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protests of 2011, this paper articulates a type of public art practice that can be understood as poetic occupation. The paper further suggests that shifting one’s understanding of public art practice provokes a reconsideration of the role of the artist. To this end, Miwon Kwon’s (2002) term “narrator-protagonist” is useful for expressing this alternative role. The paper proceeds with an exploration of the work of the artist collective Lone Twin, supported by Michel de Certeau’s (1984) theories associating walking with speaking, and illustrated with an analysis of …


Craft As Activism, Elizabeth Garber Jan 2013

Craft As Activism, Elizabeth Garber

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

Craft activists work outside the mainstream of consumer society, in grass-roots efforts, to create social change that positions individuals and groups of people as reflective contributors who occupy a participatory democracy. These activities connect to and draw from feminist and other civil rights movements, sustainability, and do-it-yourself [DIY] activities. They are forms of affective labor. The crafted products are considered in terms of whether they contribute (or do not) to the surplus economy, in terms of class taste, and vis-à-vis their ability to connect people and contribute to social change. Education of craft activists and audiences takes informal forms, such …


Feminist Zines: (Pre)Occupations Of Gender, Politics, And D.I.Y. In A Digital Age, Courtney Lee Weida Jan 2013

Feminist Zines: (Pre)Occupations Of Gender, Politics, And D.I.Y. In A Digital Age, Courtney Lee Weida

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

This article examines the potential of recent feminist zines as frameworks of grassroots D.I.Y. and direct democracy in physical and digital communities. While the height of zine creations as works on paper may be traced to the 1990s, this form of feminist counterculture has evolved and persisted in cyberspace, predating, accompanying, and arguably outlasting the physical reality of protests, revolutions, and political expressions such as the Occupy Movement(s). Contemporary zines contain not only email addresses alongside ‘snail mail’ addresses, but also links to digital sites accompanying real-world resources. Zinesters today utilize the handmade craftsmanship and hand drawn and written techniques …


(Pre)Determined Occupations: The Post-Colonial Hybridizing Of Identity And Art Forms In Third World Spaces, Amanda Alexander, Manisha Sharma Jan 2013

(Pre)Determined Occupations: The Post-Colonial Hybridizing Of Identity And Art Forms In Third World Spaces, Amanda Alexander, Manisha Sharma

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In this article, we present the effects of globalization on art forms in Peru and on teacher identity in India while exploring hybridization as an ongoing global paradigm in both contexts (Bhabha, 1994; Said, 1979). Peruvian art forms are continuously shifting as global cultures meld and become more technologically connected, which ultimately brings about questions of authenticity. The identities of Indian art educators are evolving, and shifting indicating an assemblage or structure containing many parts working together to perform a particular function. In realizing its function, the structure can be named or its form made visible (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987). …