Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In Elementary Schools And Mathematics Achievement., Robert Larry Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This causal-comparative study examined the relationship between Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and academic achievement in elementary school mathematics. Research has shown that PBIS may help establish a positive school climate, which supports the conditions for effective teaching and learning (Bradshaw, Koth, Bevans, Ialongo, & Leaf, 2008; Horner, Sugai, & Vincent, 2005; Hoy, Tarter, & Bliss, 1990). Accordingly, this study examined variables of particular interest, which were mathematical performance, including mathematical performance by male academic achievement, female academic achievement, and socioeconomic status, based on PBIS implementationThe data used were school-level, 5th grade mathematics achievement scores. Elementary schools, which participated …

Leading Age-Appropriate Pedagogies In The Early Years Of School, Beverley R. Fluckiger, Julie Dunn, Madonna Stinson, Elizabeth Wheeley

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

There is increasing pressure on leaders and teachers to improve the academic achievement of children in the early years of school. Alongside this is recognition that social and emotional development are the important drivers of children’s school and lifetime success. This paper reports on the design and leadership of the pilot phase of the Age Appropriate Pedagogies program commissioned by the Queensland Department of Education and Training to refocus pedagogical practices in the early years of school. This refocus was deemed to be necessary in order to achieve strong academic outcomes while ensuring that children’s holistic development remained a key …

Diversity For Diversity's Sake? The Relationship Between Diversity And School-Level Academic Achievement., Richard Aaron Wisman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is contention among researchers about how to best operationalize socioeconomic status (SES). This study seeks to provide an explicit definition of one metric of socioeconomic status, the diversity index (DI) of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and investigates its efficacy at predicting the aggregate academic achievement of students within a school, relative to other common metrics of SES which are analogous to components of the DI. Another purpose of this study is to investigate possible peer effects of socioeconomic diversity on low SES students. This study utilizes a correlational – multiple regression approach to explore relationships among study variables …

The Implementation Of Visible Learning Practices Among Refugee Learners In North-West Texas, Laurie A. Sharp, Jane Dougherty, Genie Baca, Elsa Diego-Medrano

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

The resettlement of refugees has enriched the diversity of many communities throughout the United States. However, the transition associated with refugee resettlement has significant effects on both refugees and the communities in which they have been resettled. Due to the extreme diversity represented among refugees who have been resettled, public school systems and education professionals must identify best practices that meet the rigor of state accountability requirements and foster educational equity among all students. The purpose of this article is to describe how one large elementary public school campus located in North-West Texas has addressed these challenges through an ongoing …

Quality Education In Idaho: A Case Study Of Academic Achievement In Three High-Poverty Rural Schools, Christine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is bridging the achievement gap for students living in poverty through quality education. Such a study is important because the percentage of students affected by poverty is increasing and the persistent gap in achievement evidences that the right to quality education for students in poverty is not being met. This is mixed-methods study of three high-poverty elementary schools in Idaho. Both quantitative (achievement test scores) and qualitative data (interviews of seventeen teachers and principals) are compared and contrasted. The findings provide evidence that quality education for students in poverty requires relatable curriculum, teachers who are …

Secondary To Post-Secondary Education: Understanding First-Generation Students' Perceptions Of Transition, Kimberly P. Brumfield

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast research on first-generation college students, there is little about their perception of transition from high school to college. This study sought to understand first-generation college student's perception of their transition from secondary to post-secondary education. A qualitative phenomenological study was used in order to discover how the students perceived their transition and what transition programs helped students feel better prepared during the process.

Sole (Self Organized Learning Environment) Time!, Hope Fuss

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Welcome to SOLE Time! Imagine how your student’s perception of school would change if they were able to end each day choosing topics and creating amazing learning experiences with peers. SOLE (Self Organized Learning Environment) Time can improve student motivation and achievement levels in your classroom/school. The presenter will show how she took her elementary school through the implementation process of SOLE Time. Participants will leave with an overview of SOLE Time, implementation timelines, possible school schedules, and an online unit where they can begin their own SOLE journey and collaborate with colleagues.

Exploring Mathematical Capital: An Essential Construct For Mathematical Success?, Marla Ann Lasswell Baber

Dissertations and Theses

In the United States students have traditionally struggled with mathematics. Many students leave the educational system with limited mathematical literacy that can adversely affect their success as a college student, a consumer and citizen. In turn, lack of mathematical literacy affects their socioeconomic status. Through improving their mathematical literacy, students can be more successful not only in mathematics but, it seems in many aspects of their lives. Many researchers have defined mathematical literacy; yet, we need to understand more about how mathematical literacy develops. This study explores a model that identifies four key components that seem to be associated with …

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring The Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys, Teleshia Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring the Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys. Teleshia Mincey-Jones, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: academic achievement, achievement gap, elementary education, reading readiness, gender differences.

Reading mastery is essential for academic success. As an emphasis is placed on more rigor in education, some boys are being left behind in the area of reading. School districts are adopting new rigorous standards and transitioning to produce students who are career and college ready upon graduation. Girls are responding positively and thriving academically; yet, boys continue to underperform girls at the district, …

Impacts Of Mentoring Program On At-Risk Students, Melissa Marie Judd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Many middle school students are considered at-risk due to attendance, lower levels of academic achievement, and behavior referrals. Mentoring programs have been in effect for decades and continue to yield positive results. The purpose of the study is to determine if fourth and fifth grade at-risk students are impacted by mentoring. The researcher seeks to determine if mentoring increases students’ attendance, increases math and reading test scores, and decreases the amount of behavior referrals. Participants were compared to their own data using a pre-tests and post-tests. Attendance comparisons were made between Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters. Math and reading …

The Difference In Academic Achievement For Students In The Healthy Fitness Zone Compared To The High Risk Zone For Bmi And Aerobic Capacity, Nathan C. Pennington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity rates have climbed significantly over the past 40 years. With that, there has also been an increase in the number of associated health concerns, such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, of many. Quite independently, there has also been an increase in the accountability placed on schools to improve their reading and math test scores. This has resulted in a decrease in physical activity times in schools in order to provide more class time for reading and math. This study’s purpose has been to identify whether a difference exists in academic outcomes for students in the HFZ compared …

Pursuing The "Half Empty Question": Biology Undergraduates' Differential Engagement In A Brief Relevance Writing Intervention, Ting Dai, Avi Kaplan, Ying Wang, Jennifer G. Cromley, Tony Perez, Kyle R. Mara, Michael Balsai

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Whereas relevance-writing interventions have shown effects on students’ achievement, a persistent finding is that interventions benefit students with low, but not high, outcome expectancies—a phenomenon that Schwartz et al. (2016) termed the half empty question. In the current mixed-methods study, we investigated the role of undergraduate students’ patterns of engagement in a relevance-writing intervention and their relations to biology course achievement. Ninety-six students who were administered four relevance writing assignments were found to manifest two patterns: Students who completed at least 50% of the intervention in a timely manner outperformed those who completed less-then-50% or completed it late, regardless of …

Superintendent Leadership In Small, Rural Minnesota Public Schools, Timothy Plath

Doctorate in Education

The purpose of the research was to investigate the leadership skills of rural Minnesota superintendents alongside the academic achievement of the school district. Through the correlates of school leadership espoused by Waters and Marzano, this research analyzed the leadership characteristics of the superintendents in those districts and the level of educational excellence achieved under them.

A multiple case study methodology was used to study nine rural Minnesota school districts and superintendents. Through a written survey, this study considered collaborative goal setting, nonnegotiable goals for academic achievement, board alignment with district goals, monitoring achievement and instruction, and allocating resources to support …