Education Commons^™

Community Social Disorganization Theory Applied To Adolescent Academic Achievement, Spencer Ross Baker

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Over the years, the public education system has been transformed by outside political and societal forces to provide an equal opportunity for all students. Investigations of the public education system were not consistent and yielded divergent results on how to improve adolescent academic achievement. These divergent results were caused by different operationalizations of variables, data analytical procedures that possibly provided biased parameter estimates, and a failure to use a comprehensive theory. Although these results were inconsistent, the latest transformation of the public education system currently involves holding schools, administrators, parents, and students accountable for learning.

The measurement of success in …

Survey Reflects Maine Students Optimistic And Ambitious, But Feeling Effects Of National Educational And Social Concerns, Kay Hyatt

General University of Maine Publications

Maine students are optimistic, think hard work is essential to success and view their parents as strong, positive influences in their lives, according to preliminary results from a University of Maine survey of more than 20,000 sixth through 12th graders representing 111 schools and every county in the state. The early data also suggest that student perceptions of their schools, teachers, peers and social experiences, are less positive, and there is an increasing disconnection between parents and schools as students advance in grade.

Umaine Education Project Winners Announced, Kay Hyatt

General University of Maine Publications

Nearly 70 students from the University of Maine's College of Education and Human Development presented displays of their senior projects at the recent fall poster session. Winners have been named in four categories. The students choose either an educational research or a school practice topic to explore in depth and present as a capstone project to the senior seminar. The displays and presentations were judged by members of Phi Delta Kappa, the international organization for professional educators.

Honor Society Inducts Umaine Education Students, Kay Hyatt

General University of Maine Publications

The Gamma Omicron Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the University of Maine's scholastic honor society for education majors, inducted 25 students during its annual fall initiation ceremony. To be eligible for membership in Kappa Delta Pi, students must have reached their junior year with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and, in addition to scholarship, demonstrate leadership and commitment to education.

Developing A Standards Based Report Card Designed For K-5 Students In Riverview School Districts #407, Marlene Fuson

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a standards based report card for students in grades K-5 in Riverview School District #407, Carnation, Washington. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature concerned with report card development and the change process were reviewed. Additionally, report cards from neighboring school districts and report cards from around the nation were reviewed and adapted to meet the needs of the students, teachers, and community in the Riverview School District.

Some Determinants Of Success And Failure In First-Year University Business Units At Private Colleges, Clive P. Oliver

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates some of the determinates of academic success and failure (and dropout) from first year university level Business units at two private business colleges in Perth, Western Australia. Private business colleges are convenient vehicles for international and Western Australian students who do not possess adequate academic assessments for direct entry into university, and for students who might benefit from an enhanced pastoral support system, in the transition from secondary education to tertiary education. The study is important to private providers and to universities who are trying to help students succeed at university. The study utilises a model of …

An Analysis Of 4th And 5th Grade Meap Results At Elementary Schools In Southwest Michigan, Kevin M. Hollenbeck, Kristine Kracker

Reports

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Youth Unemployment In Australia: 1980- 1994, Gary Marks, Nicole Fleming

Nicole Wernert

Examines unemployment amongst Australian youth between 1980 and 1994. Factors associated with employment levels are discussed including demographic factors, educational achievement and economic indicators.

Youth Earnings In Australia 1980-1994: A Comparison Of Three Youth Cohorts, Gary Marks, Nicole Fleming

Nicole Wernert

This report examines hourly earnings among Australian youth. The influences on hourly earnings were analysed in three sections. The first presents the correlation between earnings and social background, school factors, qualifications and labour market history. The second part models earnings using a four step procedure adding, sequentially, social and demographic background factors. school factors, qualifications and Year 12 completion, and employment history. The final section focuses on aging and cohort effects by examining the inmpact on hourly earnings of gender, schooling, qualifications and work experiences at particular ages.

Corporate Marketing Whiz, Aspirations Expert Are Wit And Wisdom Of New Syndicated Column For Dads, Kay Hyatt

General University of Maine Publications

The serendipitous meeting of two kindred spirits ̶ a new-product marketing guru with corporate clients around the world and a professor in Maine trying to spread the word about the link between student aspirations, attitude and achievement -- launched a friendship and a nationally syndicated newspaper column.

The Connections Project: Year 2 Annual Report, Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Bob Pawloski, Lawrence S. Bundy, Seward School District

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This annual report for budget year October 1, 1997-September 30, 1998 describes year 2 of the Connections Project within the Seward, Nebraska public schools. This project (a technology challenge grant) provided four major activities to help Nebraska middle and high school teachers, mentors, and community members enhance student learning through integrated curricula supported by technology. The activities included professional development for teachers to support their use of integrated curriculum and technology, curriculum development activities, community connections programs, and statewide and national dissemination of 400 project curriculum models and resources through a website and CD-ROM. The project was intended to increase …

A Resource Guide For Teacher Use To Address Issues Of Disproportionality In Grades K-5 In Urban School Districts, Kelie R. Kegley

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to develop a resource guide for teacher use to address issues of disproportionality in grades K-5 in urban school districts. To accomplish this purpose, a review of literature and current research on disproportionality in academic achievement in urban public schools was conducted. This review focused on effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices as they related to disproportionality in grades K-5. Additionally, information from selected urban school districts with disproportionality was obtained and analyzed.

Stakeholders' Voices : A Socio-Cultural Approach To Describing And Extending An Understanding Of Primary Education In Mauritius, Michelle Griffiths

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study describes and expands an understanding of primary education in one developing country, Mauritius. The need for the study was argued from a review of literature which brought to notice the lack of social action perspectives in analysis of education in and about developing countries and the necessity and importance of knowing about the reality of schooling in developing countries. The research was conceptualised as a socio-cultural approach. It gave analytical priority to the actions, experiences and perceptions of teachers, pupils, parents and educationists in order to create an account of what Mauritian education was like and meant to …

Parent Involvement At The Secondary Level? It Can Be Done!, Suzanne Janette Borucki

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: A Freshman Focus Program, Laurie Schonert, Catherine Vaughan-Obregon

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Causal Attribution And Dimension Differences Between Sixth-Grade Urban Middle School Students Who Pass And Students Who Fail Reading On The Virginia Literacy Passport Test, Elsie Perry Daniels

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Attribution theory, which focuses on student beliefs about why they succeed or fail, was investigated with 220 sixth grade students who were required to pass the Virginia Literacy Passport test. Part I of this study investigated the reliability and validity of Causal Dimension Scale II (McAuley et al., 1992) when it is used with a sixth grade preadolescent population. Part II investigated student attributions for performance outcomes on the reading portion of the Virginia Literacy Passport test. This study researched the hypothesis that middle school students who passed the Virginia Literacy Passport Test (LPT) reading test would attribute their successful …

Case Studies Of High-Ability Students With Learning Disabilities Who Have Achieved, Sally M. Reis, Terry W. Neu, Joan M. Mcguire

Education Faculty Publications

We used qualitative methods to study 12 young people with learning disabilities who were successful at the college level. The participants reported negative school experiences, verified by their parents and school records, such as social problems, difficulty with teachers, and frustration with certain academic areas. The interaction of their high abilities and their learning disabilities produced a number of negative consequences since their talents were not usually addressed by the school system they attended. However, despite these experiences, participants were able to integrate specific personal traits and special compensation strategies and environmental modifications to succeed in a challenging university setting. …

Causal Influences Of Mental Overload And Self-Efficacy On Academic Performance, Elizabeth Jane Barbo

Theses Digitization Project

In the past, literature has proposed relationships between several different factors. Multiple roles influence performance and stress, good performance increases self-efficacy, high self-efficacy increases performance, and increased amounts of stress decrease performance. While performance can be measured in different ways, the literature has supported using academic achievement as a performance indicator.

Profiling Esl Children: How Teachers Interpret And Use National And State Assessment Frameworks, M Breen, C Barratt-Pugh, B Derewianka, H House, C Hudson, Tom Lumley, M Rohl

Dr Tom Lumley

No abstract provided.

Developmental Assessment: Assessment Resource Kit, Geoff N. Masters, Margaret Forster

Assessment Resource Kit

Developmental assessment is the process of monitoring a student's progress through an area of learning so that decisions can be made about the best ways to facilitate further learning. Developmental assessment uses a progress map or continuum that describes the nature of development or progress or growth in an area of learning and so provides a frame of reference for monitoring individual development. Progress is monitored in much the same way as a child's physical growth is monitored: from time to time an estimate is made of a student's location on a developmental continuum, and changes in location provide measures …

Design Of The Timss Achievement Instruments, Ray Adams, E Gonzalez

Prof Ray Adams

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Technology-Rich School Environments On Academic Achievement And Attitudes Of Urban School Students, Charles R. Grimm

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of technology-rich educational environments on student academic achievement and attitude. The primary independent variable was the type of school (technology-rich school (TRS) and traditional school (TS)). Additional independent variables included gender, ethnicity, and computer ownership. The dependent variables were: (1) student academic achievement (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (4th-grade), Virginia's Literacy Passport Test (6th-grade), and Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (11th-grade)) and (2) and student attitudes (questionnaire).

The design examined the differences between TRS and TS (N = 1088). Compared were 4th-grade elementary school students attending a TRS (n = …

We Are The Vanguard, Not The Norm: Stories Of Successful Minority Students In Predominantly White Graduate Teacher Education Programs, Leslie Rennie-Hill

Dissertations and Theses

Minorities stand increasingly under-represented in the teaching profession; they continue to be under-represented in graduate teacher preparation programs. Despite calls for increased numbers of minority teachers, despite countless well-intentioned recruitment and retention programs, the relative proportion of newly prepared minority teachers is in fact decreasing (Carter & Wilson, 1992). Literally hundreds of studies examine retention programs, identifying the deficits of minorities, noting what program elements work, and establishing characteristics of supportive institutional environments. Unfortunately, knowing what can be done to I increase persistence does not yet translate into doing it. By focusing on a positive correlate--those minority students who successfully …

Becoming Gentlemen: Women's Experiences At One Ivy League Law School, Lani Guinier, Michelle Fine, Jane Balin, Ann Bartow, Deborah Lee Stachel

Publications and Research

In this Article we describe preliminary research by and about women law students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School—a typical, if elite, law school stratified deeply along gender lines. Our database draws from students enrolled at the Law School between 1987 and 1992, and includes academic performance data from 981 students, self-reported survey data from 366 students, written narratives from 104 students, and group-level interview data of approximately eighty female and male students.' From these data we conclude that the law school experience of women in the aggregate differs markedly from that of their male peers.

Characteristics Of Marginally Achieving Secondary Students And The Nature Of Their School Experience, Aeylin Summers

Dissertations and Theses

In American high schools, students are sorted into three "tracks" to cluster resources for students of similar abilities and interests. Much is known about the high track student, and especially in the past decade, the low track or "at-risk" student. However, the middle track--or marginally achieving student--has been largely overlooked in the literature. Acknowledged as "lost in the middle" (Judson, 1992), as well as deserving of higher quality of service in their school systems (Powell, Farrar, & Cohen, 1985), marginal achievers-defined here as having a GPA of 1.5-2.5, still maintain a profile of invisibility. Current reform efforts to increase student …

The Need And Justifcation For All-Black Male Academies In Urban Areas, Nimrod Malik Shabazz

McCabe Thesis Collection

During the 1980's, the concept of an all-Black male academy was strongly pushed as a panacea for the seemingly systematic, scholastic downfall of Black males in secondary institutions. Though said academies have received strong community support, opposition against them has also been equally staunch. All-Black male academies have also fallen under question because of their supposed discrimination against females and the belief that their existence would return the system of education in the United States to segregation.

The purpose of this study is to analyze historical factors which have affected Black male academic achievement on the secondary level in urban …

Relationships Among Teachers' Efficacy, Teachers' Locus-Of-Control, And Student Achievement, David L. Burrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher effectiveness, as measured by value-added gain scores on student achievement, was related to the teacher personality characteristics of efficacy and locus of control. The value-added mean gain scores for each teacher were correlated with teachers' scores on the Rand Corporation Efficacy Scale and the Rose and Medway Teacher Locus of Control Scale. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine if these teacher characteristics along with selected demographic variables could be used as good predictors of achievement gain. The population consisted of 132 middle school teachers across five subject areas …

The Effects Of An Urban Middle School Dropout Prevention Program On The Academic Achievement, Attendance, Attitudes, And Conflict Resolution Skills Of At-Risk Student, Patricia Hawkins Fisher

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an urban middle school dropout prevention program on the academic achievement, attendance, attitudes toward self and school, and conflict resolution skills of potential dropout candidates. The study compared the differences in grade point averages and Iowa Test of Basic Skills scores, percentages of absences, self concept and motivation towards school scores, and the percentage of suspensions of subjects in three middle schools in Portsmouth, Virginia. A review of literature revealed that traditional dropout prevention efforts have addressed the dropout dilemma with varying degrees of success. More recent dropout initiatives …

A Study To Determine African-American Phds' Perspective On Factors Affecting Academic Achievement: Selected Case Studies, Faye Brock Wade

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

To answer the research problem the following questions were considered: 1. What are some of the intellectual, social, economic and family background characteristics of African-American PhD s? 2. What factors influenced their decision to attain an advanced degree? 3. What factors do they identify as positive contributors to their educational and professional development?

Hitting With Two Strikes: Cognitive Intervention To Promote Academic Achievement For Minority Students, Edward John Foster

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.