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Full-Text Articles in Education

Implementing Standards-Based Grading In A Suburban Middle School: A Change Leadership Plan, Cody Huisman Dec 2016

Implementing Standards-Based Grading In A Suburban Middle School: A Change Leadership Plan, Cody Huisman

Dissertations

The purpose of the Change Leadership Plan was to describe a current issue facing a school district, creating a vision of change to end that obstacle. In the case of this particular change plan, the problem is the traditional grading system at a suburban middle school. The plan advocates for a change to a standards-based grading system. Several steps describing change are examined: describing the current situation, conducting research to support change, and designing a vision of what success will look like after standards-based grading is established. The research conducted was done through both surveys and group interviews. Research participants …


Advocating For Standards-Based Grading In A Suburban School District: A Policy Advocacy Document, Cody Huisman Dec 2016

Advocating For Standards-Based Grading In A Suburban School District: A Policy Advocacy Document, Cody Huisman

Dissertations

This document focuses on a vision for “what ought to be,” in this case, a new grading system in a suburban district. The document takes the reader through numerous aspects of advocating for district-wide policy change. The vision for a new grading system is evaluated from several perspectives, such as: educational, economic, social, political, and moral, and ethical. Using publications and research from numerous practitioners, it was determined that a change to standards-based grading is the right decision for this district. This policy advocacy document shows the reader how to work through policy change from the beginning to the end, …


Teacher-Created Student Growth Assessments Used For Teacher Evaluation And The Effects On Teacher Efficacy, Perry A. Finch Dec 2016

Teacher-Created Student Growth Assessments Used For Teacher Evaluation And The Effects On Teacher Efficacy, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

The landscape surrounding teacher evaluation is changing as teacher accountability becomes more prevalent in this process. This study looks at how teacher-created student growth assessments (SGAs) for teacher evaluation affects teacher efficacy with respect to instructional practice. Survey data were collected from 110 kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers; additional data were gathered from three interviews. A majority of these teachers reported the work in creating SGAs benefitted their instructional practice. Teachers reported increased knowledge in learning standards, curriculum development, and assessment literacy as a result of creating their own SGAs. Qualitative findings suggest that when teachers are provided an opportunity to …


The Case For Cultural Proficiency For Teachers Of Students Of Color Who Live In Poverty: A Policy Advocacy Document, Perry A. Finch Dec 2016

The Case For Cultural Proficiency For Teachers Of Students Of Color Who Live In Poverty: A Policy Advocacy Document, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

This document explores how expanding educators’ cultural proficiency leads to increased learning opportunities for students of color who live in poverty. Through the development of culturally responsive curriculum and instruction, teachers might increase their abilities to meet the needs of previously disenfranchised students. A connection exists between differentiated instruction and culturally responsive instruction, as both require a heightened understanding of students’ schema, interests, and culture. This policy argues that increasing educators’ cultural proficiency should not be done simply to increase teacher effectiveness with instruction but rather because it is a moral obligation of schools.


Block Scheduling For The 21st Century High School: A Change Leadership Plan, Tracey K. Landry Dec 2016

Block Scheduling For The 21st Century High School: A Change Leadership Plan, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

The needs of 21st Century learners require an overhaul in the way classroom instruction is organized and delivered. This Change Plan outlines how and why high schools may consider modifying the bell schedule to support needed change. The current high school structure was developed at the turn of the 20th Century, over 100 years ago, when the world was much smaller, and the vast majority of students did not go on to college or need advanced coursework to enter and compete in the workforce. Yet, this late 19th century concept is still the basic organizing structure of our modern day …


Perceptions Of The Effects Of Homework On Student Achievement At A Suburban Middle School: A Program Evaluation, Cody Huisman Dec 2016

Perceptions Of The Effects Of Homework On Student Achievement At A Suburban Middle School: A Program Evaluation, Cody Huisman

Dissertations

The purpose of this program evaluation was to gain a clear understanding of how homework supports or deters the achievement of students, specifically the overall grade a student attains. This document details how students and teachers at a suburban Middle School perceive homework and its effect on student learning. The findings were that many students received failing grades in classes, primarily due to missing homework. The program evaluation used mixed methodology. Using survey and focus group results in conjunction with current literature, the conclusion revealed a need for homework policies that would support student learning without punishing students’ grades. Students …


A School District's Change To Standards-Based Grading: A Conduit To Student Learning, Perry A. Finch Dec 2016

A School District's Change To Standards-Based Grading: A Conduit To Student Learning, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

Nothing can be more important in a student’s learning process than feedback. This study looks at what is needed to effectively guide an elementary school district from a traditional letter grade system to a standards-based grading system. Survey data were collected from 91 teachers across the district in order to measure their understanding of standards-based grading. A standards-based grading pilot was conducted with six teachers from the elementary and middle school level. Four of these six teachers participated in a group interview to share perceptions of this pilot. Survey data were collected from the 54 students involved in the pilot. …


The Perceived Impact On Bullying Of The Second Step Program At A Kindergarten-8th Grade School: A Program Evaluation, Adam J. Thorns Aug 2016

The Perceived Impact On Bullying Of The Second Step Program At A Kindergarten-8th Grade School: A Program Evaluation, Adam J. Thorns

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines the Second Step program at Baker School, a Kindergarten through 8th grade building located in Hillsborough, Illinois. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the perceptions of impact the Second Step program has had on bullying at the school. The study employs a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews with students, educators, and parents. This researcher determined that although bullying does not appear to be prevalent at Baker School, there is inconclusive evidence regarding the impact of the Second Step program. Major themes that emerged from this evaluation were a wide range of student …


National Principals' Survey On Early Childhood Instructional Leadership, Michael B. Abel, Teri N. Talan, Kelly D. Pollitt, Laura Bornfreund Jul 2016

National Principals' Survey On Early Childhood Instructional Leadership, Michael B. Abel, Teri N. Talan, Kelly D. Pollitt, Laura Bornfreund

McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Publications

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University, and New America partnered to study early childhood instructional leadership in schools. The National Principals’ Survey on Early Childhood Instructional Leadership was conducted in 2016 with the NAESP membership. This environmental scan collected basic descriptive data about the roles within schools and districts that contribute to instructional leadership and teacher supervision in preK classrooms. The survey was designed to examine the distribution of leadership functions; the influence of elementary principals on supporting children transitioning to kindergarten; classroom activities in preK and …


World Cafe Discussion, Conference Attendees Jun 2016

World Cafe Discussion, Conference Attendees

Docs in the Woods: A Reunion Conference of the Adult and Continuing Education Doctoral Program of National Louis University

Discussion questions.


Postpositivism In Online Education: Is Big Data Driving The Teacher/Student Relationship Off A Cliff?, David S. Noffs Jun 2016

Postpositivism In Online Education: Is Big Data Driving The Teacher/Student Relationship Off A Cliff?, David S. Noffs

Docs in the Woods: A Reunion Conference of the Adult and Continuing Education Doctoral Program of National Louis University

As online education continues to grow and evolve in the information age, institutions are being deluged with offers from technology vendors to be able to identify student behaviors using predictive analysis. These analytics are derived from algorithms that sift through data drawn directly from student/teacher interaction in online classrooms. Where do we draw the line between the privacy of the teacher/learner relationship and the needs of the institution to mine data for profit?


Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of The United States Social Class System, Tracy M. Stevenson-Olson Jun 2016

Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of The United States Social Class System, Tracy M. Stevenson-Olson

Dissertations

As the number of school aged children living in poverty increases, the inherent inequities within the United States class system continue to grow. Teacher perceptions regarding the United States social class system are examined through focus group interviews with four teachers in an urban high school. A critical qualitative methodology was used to explore how the participants make sense of the complex social class system and how they perceive the impact of social class within the school context. The findings include two overarching themes that influenced these teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of social class; their own personal narrative /identity construction …


Effects Of Eliminating The Cap On The Number Of Participants In The Statewide Parental Choice Program, Reginald Lawrence Ii Apr 2016

Effects Of Eliminating The Cap On The Number Of Participants In The Statewide Parental Choice Program, Reginald Lawrence Ii

Dissertations

Funding provided for public education is also being utilized for charter, private and /or parochial voucher schools across the state of Wisconsin. Policy was passed that eliminates current enrollment caps in the statewide parental choice program. In 2016-17, enrollment is limited to 1% of the district’s school age population and increases by 1% annually until it reaches 10% then lifts entirely. In advocating against the proposed policy, three critical issues emerged – the cost of funding the additional program, the moral obligation to educate neediest students, and grading school performance. Policy recommendation includes, leave remaining enrollment cap in place, create …


Improving Student Achievement Of Private School Students Receiving Title Services: A Positional And Dispositional Change Plan, Dr Shandowlyon L. Hendricks-Williams Apr 2016

Improving Student Achievement Of Private School Students Receiving Title Services: A Positional And Dispositional Change Plan, Dr Shandowlyon L. Hendricks-Williams

Dissertations

This change plan examined the current competencies, conditions, culture and context of a for-profit education corporation which resulted in low student achievement, “As Is”. As a means of developing strategies and actions for change, the competencies, conditions, culture and context necessary to increase student achievement was explored “To Be”. A change plan was developed and implemented. The change plan addressed my personal immunities to change as well as strategies and actions needed to improve student achievement. Private school students receiving title services were assessed using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test in May of 2014. The results of that …