Education Commons^™

Politics, Policies, And Procedures: The Iron Triangle Of Implementing Education Reform, Clint Reardon Jr

Honors College Theses

Education is often seen as a living thing, something that should grow and change with time. However, for far too many people who experience education from both within the school structure and for those who experience education from outside the school structure it can often seem like the educational system is stagnate, dying, and in some cases dead. One shared reason for this perception is perceived barriers in education that stifle creativity and allow educational systems to grow, adapt, and change to meet the needs of the students they serve. This study set out to identify what those barriers are …

Professional Development For K-6 Teachers, Rebecca S. Monroe

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

For over a century, educators and politicians have been working on educational reform for various reasons and with the hope of a plethora of outcomes. Since at least the late twentieth century, educational reform has been undertaken for the purpose of increasing students’ academic achievement. While a shift in focus of teaching to a focus on learning has occurred, we know changes in the classroom and with classroom teaching still needs to occur. One recent incarnation of reform has been focused on the teacher and the professional development they receive.

Currently, the United States spends over 18 billion dollars annually …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of School Administrators On Fostering Relational Trust With Teachers In Texas Urban Charter Schools, Meesha-Gay Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accountability has placed immense pressure on principals leading K-12 public charter schools to increase standards for success. Overwhelmingly, principals accept the charge to produce promising results every day, despite the public scrutiny principals may ensue for not meeting the state’s standard of excellence. Principals are expected to drive high academic standards, initiate instructional vision, interact with parents, oversee policy mandates, address students’ needs, and foster relationships with teachers. The daily demands requiring principals’ attention stimulate stress and may cause principals to wrestle with prioritizing trusted relationships. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand how principals foster relational …

'Training' The Body Politic: Essays On The School Reform Orthodoxy, Jahan Naghshineh

Education (PhD) Dissertations

These essays represent my attempt to grapple with fundamental questions about what I see as the upside-down nature of educational reforms in American society. Why is there a never-ending crisis in America’s public schools? What does it mean when the educational specter from different periods of history is discredited and yet the specter keeps being recycled decade after decade? For example, elites propagated crisis narratives to galvanize support for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation at the turn of the century. Countless researchers then documented the adverse impacts of NCLB on America’s schools and yet that literature never led …

A Case Study In The Use Of Mentorships In Academic Instructional Coach Development., Matt Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic instructional coaches have long been used to support teacher development and student learning. As a recent position in the education field, there is little information regarding the development of staff in this role. This study sought to better understand how academic instructional coaches are mentored and developed within challenging school contexts. The theoretical framework for this research is guided by the social constructivism epistemology. In alignment with this framework, a collective case study was utilized to better understand the relationship between the principal and the academic instructional coach. Exploring this relationship emphasized how principals support academic instructional coach growth. …

Adding "Student Voice" To The Mix: Perception Surveys And State Accountability Systems, Jack Schneider, James Noonan, Rachel S. White, Douglas Gagnon, Ashley Carey

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

For the past two decades, student perception surveys have become standard tools in data collection efforts. At the state level, however, “student voice” is still used sparingly. In this study, we examine the ways in which including student survey results might alter state accountability determinations. Reconstructing the accountability system in Massachusetts, we draw on a unique set of student survey data, which we add to the state’s formula at a maximally feasible dosage in order to determine new school ratings. As we find, student survey data shift school accountability ratings in small but meaningful ways and appear to enhance functional …

The Implications Of Participatory Budgeting In Illinois K-12 School Districts, Jeremy Larson

All Capstone Projects

Financial management skills are a necessity for every leader in the work environment. It helps them to make the best choices with the capital resources that are available. Non-profit organizations face the scarcity challenge, and it may be difficult to strike a balance when implementing the budgets. Acquiring financial management skills helps the leaders to carry out a cost-benefit analysis that allows them to determine the departments that need more resources, and as a result, they end up creating development even when faced with financial difficulties. Collaboration is a necessity and an essential aspect of the K-12 budgeting process because …

Educators Voices From Integrated Writing And Problem Solving Common Core Workshop, Karen T. Jackson, Penny Wallin, Anna K. Lee

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article provides an opportunity to discuss and examine information gathered during a focus group of K-12 educators involved in an integrated writing and problem solving workshop. Findings demonstrate that some educators are frustrated by the culture of testing versus the culture of learning that exist as a result of the Common Core Standards implementation. Educators are eager to learn and implement new ways of learning in order to promote deeper learning and critical thinking skills. Strategies and recommendations for providing support and resources for educators to meet the expectations to prepare students to be college and career ready are …

Educator Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership In The School Improvement Process, Lori Lynne Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to conduct an investigation of educator perceptions of instructional leadership in the school improvement process. Interviews were conducted with educators and an administrator in a small, rural high school in Middle Tennessee. In 2010, the high school was labeled as a low performing school by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). In 2014, Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the school was on the TDOE Reward School Cusp List for being in the top 10% of schools based on one-year progress data from the Tennessee Value-added Assessment System (TVAAS) school composites.

Participants of this case …

The Implications Of The Turnaround Process On A Rural Kentucky High School: Teacher Perspectives, Sonya Edwina Anglin

Online Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a phenomenological study of the effects of the turnaround process on a high school in rural central Kentucky. Data used for this study include interviews with teachers and archival materials such as school reports cards. Across Kentucky some forty-one schools have been identified as "priority schools" or persistently low-performing. As such, each one of them has been required to undergo changes in their daily instructional practices, procedures, and policies. The change process has affected faculty and administration and led to overall school improvement. This study provides a look at how the turnaround process has influenced school improvement …

Role Ambiguity In An Era Of Accountability: A Collective Case Study Of The Texas School Board President Experience, Kerri Daugbjerg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe role ambiguity for three school board presidents at Rydell Independent School District in Rydell, Texas. In describing role ambiguity as the school board president perceives it, I sought to describe how role ambiguity is impacted by one's self-efficacy, state accountability standards, and transformational leadership capabilities. Research questions framing the study included: How does the school board president's self-efficacy influence role ambiguity? How does role ambiguity impact the school board president as a transformational leader in the district? How do Texas accountability standards impact role ambiguity of the school board president? …

An Historical Perspective To Examine How Federal Policy Influenced The Definition And Evaluation Of Teacher Effectiveness Since 1950, Janine M. Mathesz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Increased public demand to hold teachers accountable for student learning and to remove ineffective teachers has challenged state department of education officials to develop teacher evaluation systems that include student assessment data. Many educational researchers theorize teacher effectiveness is the variable under the control of the school with the most influence on student success.

This study examines the influence of federal government education policies on state teacher evaluation systems and how this influence has shaped the definition and evaluation of an effective teacher over the past 62 years. Teacher evaluations, when used as a proper tool, assist administrators in providing …

A Qualitative Investigation: Why Teachers Are Not Aspiring To The Principalship, Jennifer Carne

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

While No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top inaugurated new movements in education, it has been reported that school districts are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified new principals. Reports indicate there is an abundance of certified individuals able to assume this position. However, the principalship has evolved into a position that is associated with additional responsibilities and new accountability mandates.

The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons why teachers who hold administrative certifications are not pursuing the principalship. During this new era of educational accountability, it is important to understand why teachers pursued …

The Idaho Statewide System Of Support: Scaling Up Whole-System Reform In A Rural Western State, Steven M. Underwood

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Idaho Statewide System of Support (SSOS) assists schools in meeting state standards for all students. In 2009, it created and implemented a revised theory of action which emphasized improvement planning and capacity-building support programs. This study examined the impact of the SSOS in general and its Idaho Building Capacity (IBC) Project in particular on Reading and Mathematics outcomes for students who are economically disadvantaged in Title I funded schools. A Pooled Interrupted Times Series design was employed to examine possible changes in the level of achievement or rate of improvement in schools. Within-subjects comparisons of trends before the intervention …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction And School Climate In An Era Of Accountability: A Mixed Methods Study Of Two High Schools On Tennessee’S High Priority List, Jeffrey Anton Knox

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study examines how teachers and administrators react when the school is under the stress of an accountability system. In this study, teacher job satisfaction and school climate are measured as these often overlooked variables have a great impact on student academic achievement (Goddard, Sweetland, & Hoy, 2000). Accountability systems such as No Child Left Behind need to be explored for negative unintended consequences such as the lowering of teacher job satisfaction and school climate. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations are used to measure teachers’ job satisfaction and school climate of two high schools that have been on Tennessee’s …

Leadership Practices That Promote Increased Student Achievement In Secondary Schools, Billy Ray Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of the following study was to determine the degree to which the perceptions of teachers and school level administrators may differ, and the effects of these perceptions on student achievement as measured at the school level by the school’s accountability score reported in the form of the Quality Distribution Index (QDI). This index ranges from 0 to 300 and is used in the state of Mississippi to assign schools to one of seven accountability labels. Schools may be classified as one of the following depending on their QDI score: star, high performing, successful, academic watch, at risk of …

A Study To Examine Teacher Perceptions Of Leadership Characteristics That Middle School Principals Should Have To Be An Effective Instructional Leader., Gary Dail Mccann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate teachers' perceptions of the role middle school principals played as instructional leaders in 2 rural schools in southwest Virginia. The 2 middle school participants in the study included only teachers in schools classified Fully Accredited by the accountability standards of the No Child Left Behind for changing the academic status of their schools from Needs Improvement in 2005 to Fully Accredited for 2006 to 2009 inclusive. This study examined teachers' perceptions of the principal's role as an instructional leader for school improvement in changing the status of the schools from Needs Improvement to Fully …

Student's Attitudes Toward High-Stakes Testing And Its Effect On Educational Decisions, Aldo Alfredo Moran

Dissertations

With the recent increase in accountability due to No Child Left Behind, graduation rates and drop-out rates are important indicators of how well a school district is performing. High-stakes testing scores are at the forefront of a school's success and recognition as a school that is preparing and graduating students to meet society's challenging demands.

*please download the dissertation to see the full Abstract.

A Longitudinal Study Of Block Scheduling Versus Traditional Scheduling In Mississippi Schools: Utilizing The Mississippi Student Assessment System And Administrators’ Perceptions, Linda Oettiker Smith

Dissertations

Accountability has become increasingly important in an era of financial stress coupled with the demand for continuous improvement, demonstrated through state mandated tests. In order to address the accountability issues associated with No Child Left Behind and in all probability the future Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it is critical to have current data regarding issues related to student achievement. For over a decade, school leaders have been encouraged to examine instructional time, or the use of scheduling formats, such as block scheduling.

This study was intended to provide school and district-level administrators with additional data relevant to the effect …

Passage And Initial Implementation Of The Supplemental Educational Services Element Of The No Child Left Behind Act: An Historical Inquiry Study, Brad D. Christensen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With reports alleging a sharp decline in student achievement in the last several years, there has been a call for higher standards in the United States education system. In response, with bipartisan support, politicians overwhelmingly passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. NCLB, the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), mandated increasing the educational performance of all children by focusing on accountability for student achievement, flexibility, higher academic standards, research-based reforms, parental choice, annual testing to measure student progress, analysis of the annual testing data, and sanctions for schools where students did …

Middle-Level Leaders Perceptions Of Accountability, Deena Cousar Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of middle-level principals personal and school accountability, their perceptions of beliefs and competencies that influence improvement in student achievement and accomplishment of accountability, and their perceptions regarding the adequacy of professional development and preparation for middle-level principals that affect their ability to improve student achievement and perform their leadership role in an increased accountability environment. This study specifically examined differences in the perceptions of middle-level principals' accountability based on the socioeconomics of the school, the number of years of administrative experience, and previous middle-school teaching experience.

The Effects Of Instruction Utilizing The Arts On The Academic Achievement Of Fourth-Grade Students, Elizabeth Fallin Manning

Doctoral Dissertations

In this day of accountability, members of state government agencies are looking for ways to increase student achievement, especially in the area of high stakes testing. Louisiana's accountability program has yielded state curriculum standards which identify the content that should be taught by specific grade levels. Teachers are now charged with the responsibility of finding methods to teach these standards. With all of the attention to these academic standards, what is the role of the arts? The Louisiana Institute for Education in the Arts (LAIEA) suggests that the arts are the tools with which to teach these academic standards. This …

A Systematic Approach To Education In The Andrews Independent School District, Pat K. Watkins

Graduate Theses

During the past decade, people in most areas of public and private life have turned to questioning the conditions under which they live and the quality of life itself. After years of rapid expansion, deficiencies, obsolete facilities, and practices, inadequacies in the educational product, and lack of long-term goals that are generally agreed upon by consumer and producer became apparent. Many people think that somebody is responsible for the shortcomings and should be held accountable. Determining responsibility for learning results is complicated by the many variables, controllable and uncontrollable, that affect the outcomes of the learner's experiences. Who is responsible …