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Articles 31 - 60 of 129
Full-Text Articles in Education
A Realist Model Of Prison Education, Growth, And Desistance: A New Theory, Kirstine Szifris, Chris Fox, Andrew Bradbury
A Realist Model Of Prison Education, Growth, And Desistance: A New Theory, Kirstine Szifris, Chris Fox, Andrew Bradbury
Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)
This paper articulates the first ‘general theory’ of prison education, offering a new insight into the relevance of desistance theory and understanding of prison sociology to the lives of men engaged in education whilst in prison. Using a realist review method (Pawson, 2002b; Wong, 2013a) we develop a rough, initial general theory of prison education articulated in the form of three context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMO). We then ‘test’ these CMOs by assessing the current evidence base through a systematic review of literature. This paper articulates three inter-related CMOs that we ground in prison sociology and desistance literature: ‘hook’, ‘safe space’ and …
Contexts Of Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Julie Gorlewski, David Naff, Zoey Lu, Ashlee Lester
Contexts Of Cultural Diversity Professional Development In Schools, Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal, Julie Gorlewski, David Naff, Zoey Lu, Ashlee Lester
MERC Publications
This report is part of a larger MERC study on Professional Development for Success in Culturally Diverse Schools.The goals of the larger study are (1) to understand the landscape of diversity within the schools in the MERC region, (2) to consider the implications for school policy and professional practice, (3) to review the current models of professional development that support teachers and other school professionals in regards to issues of cultural diversity, and (4) to develop and test models of professional development that have positive impacts on teacher practice, student outcomes and overall school success. With these goals in mind, …
A Qualitative Study Toward Understanding Educators’ Perceptions Of A Talent Development Program Designed To Address The Underrepresentation Of Historically Marginalized Students In Advanced Programming In A Large Virginia School Division, Christopher Mark Sumner
Theses and Dissertations
This study extends the limited, existing research on Sunnydale Public School’s (SPS’s) SOAR program. For clarity, SOAR is a talent development (TD) program that aims to not only enhance students’ reasoning and problem-solving abilities but also to remedy the racial/ethnic disproportionality of SPS's gifted and talented program. More specifically, I used interpretive, qualitative methods for this investigation to understand participants’ perceptions of SOAR, in hopes of adding to the talent development knowledge base and informing SOAR policy and practice. Ultimately, participant views converged on several topics (i.e. racial and ethnic disproportionality, brain malleability, multiple intelligences, etc.) and diverged on others …
Different Tools For Different Tasks: Strategies For Assessing Student Learning From Civic Engagement At The Student, Program, And Institutional Levels, Lynn E. Pelco
Division of Community Engagement Resources
This presentation was given at the SCHEV Civic Engagement Education and Assessment meeting on June 9, 2017.
One In Eight: Deciding To Pursue A College-Going Possible Self In A High-Poverty High School, David B. Naff
One In Eight: Deciding To Pursue A College-Going Possible Self In A High-Poverty High School, David B. Naff
Theses and Dissertations
There is considerable research evidence suggesting that low-income, racial minority students value education and aspire for postsecondary educational attainment (Bloom, 2007; Destin & Oyserman, 2009; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002). However, their performance in school often does not align with those values and ambitions, as these students tend to underachieve in comparison with their higher-income, non-minority peers (Reardon, 2011), with particular gaps found in those attending schools of concentrated poverty (Rowan, 2011). This gap between educational ambition and attainment suggests that the experience of living and going to school in a high-poverty context could be related to the motivational processes driving …
New Profile Of A Virginia High School Graduate: A Research Brief, David Naff
New Profile Of A Virginia High School Graduate: A Research Brief, David Naff
MERC Publications
Guided by recommendations from the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee - a group of educators, policymakers, and community members charged by the Virginia Secretary of Education with furthering PK-12 education in the Commonwealth - the Virginia General Assembly has recently passed legislation through House Bill 895 and Senate Bill 336 directing the Board of Education to redefine the “Profile of a Virginia Graduate.” The legislation indicates that beginning with the freshman class of 2018, students receiving a diploma in the state of Virginia must adhere to new graduation standards that include life skills that could potentially enhance the academic, civic, …
A Multiple-Site Case Study Of Two University Teacher Induction Programs Using Different Methods Of Delivery, Molly M. Henschel
A Multiple-Site Case Study Of Two University Teacher Induction Programs Using Different Methods Of Delivery, Molly M. Henschel
Theses and Dissertations
The literature shows that up to 50% of teachers will leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching (Saka, Southerland, Kittleson, & Hutner, 2013). Although reasons for departure vary, Johnson and Kardos (2005) found schools with high-poverty and high-minority students display excessive rates of teacher turnover. Teacher induction programs were established to assist beginning teachers as they transition into their new professional career in an attempt to increase retention rates. This research aimed to explore beginning teachers from high need schools’ experiences with university-based PLC induction. A total of 23 teachers participated in the induction programs during the …
Design Thinking For The Development Of Formal Operations: A Team-Based Middle School Design Curriculum, Stephanie K. O'Dell
Design Thinking For The Development Of Formal Operations: A Team-Based Middle School Design Curriculum, Stephanie K. O'Dell
Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I propose a team-based design curriculum that aligns with the cognitive development of middle school age students. The ability to think abstractly develops at a specific time in development, according to widely accepted cognitive theory. The middle school years are the launching pad of abstract thinking. At this age, students are also primed for learning through social activity. The design process often includes abstract problem solving challenges, and working within a team structure. These ideas build a foundation for a research question—could a team-based design curriculum in middle school strengthen students’ natural cognitive development by providing opportunities …
Why The American Superpower Has Mediocre Educational Rankings, Madeline R. Hays
Why The American Superpower Has Mediocre Educational Rankings, Madeline R. Hays
Undergraduate Research Posters
Although education holds implications for economic growth, scientific progress, and political participation, the United States remains on the lower end of educational quality compared to other industrial and first-world nations. Despite substantial efforts by the American government to mend this issue, reforms have yielded minimal improvement in results. Identifying the reasons for the declining nature of US education is essential in understanding how to improve the current academic state. Why has there been a decline in education quality in America compared to other first-world countries since World War II? In order to distinguish the characteristics correlating with low-achievement in the …
Reading And Math Interventions At The Secondary Level: A Research Brief, Ashlee Lester, David Naff
Reading And Math Interventions At The Secondary Level: A Research Brief, Ashlee Lester, David Naff
MERC Publications
Starting in the early 2000’s with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, federal and state education authorities promoted the use of accountability policies that require schools to meet certain measures of academic progress overtime. Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) and Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) have become the new measure of school success. These policies rely heavily on students’ Math and Reading achievement at particular benchmark grades, leading local educational agencies (i.e. school divisions) to place increased emphasis on the reading and math results of state-mandated testing. In Virginia, pressures to meet AYP and AMOs by improving school performance on the …
Vcu Professor Researches Early Intervention Programs For Preschools, Ties To Rtr Program, Sterling Giles
Vcu Professor Researches Early Intervention Programs For Preschools, Ties To Rtr Program, Sterling Giles
Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship
The Institute for Education Sciences, IES, a branch of the US Department of Education, awarded a grant to VCU professors Bryce McLeod, Ph.D and Kevin Sutherland, Ph.D to research behavioral problems in local preschool children. The four-year grant totaled up to $1.6 million.
Academic Rigor: A Research Report, Gabriel Reich, Volkan Sevim, Amanda Turner
Academic Rigor: A Research Report, Gabriel Reich, Volkan Sevim, Amanda Turner
MERC Publications
Rigor can be defined in any number of ways. We found an imbalance between the ways in which rigor has been defined by the Virginia Department of Education, and how education scholars define rigor in the respective academic disciplines.
(1) The Commonwealth of Virginia defines rigor as college and career readiness as measured by attendance in post-secondary educational institution, achievement of high Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores, as well as participation in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.
(2) Educational Psychologists tend to define rigor in ways that are generalizable across contexts. Researchers in this tradition focus on academic …
Middle Grades Math: Assessing The Debate Over The When And How Of Algebra, Jesse Senechal
Middle Grades Math: Assessing The Debate Over The When And How Of Algebra, Jesse Senechal
MERC Publications
Within discussions of K-12 math, the middle grades are framed as a critical period of transition between the foundational concepts presented in elementary math classes and the more abstract upper-level math classes that are traditionally associated with the high school level (i.e. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus). Over the past two decades important debates have occurred among educational researchers, math educators, and education policy makers as to the proper approach to middle grades math policy. At the center of this debate is the question of how and when to integrate algebra into the math course sequence. This focus on algebra …
Art Education And The Encouragement Of Affective And Cognitive Empathy In Early Childhood, Luke Meeken
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 Experiences Of Young African American Women Principals, Tanya Roane
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 …
Craft As Activism, Elizabeth Garber
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 …
A Review Of Literature On Teaching Evaluation, Martin Reardon
A Review Of Literature On Teaching Evaluation, Martin Reardon
MERC Publications
The members of MERC’s Policy and Planning Council are well aware of the challenges that school divisions are facing as they conscientiously endeavor to honor the stipulations of the Guidelines (2011) in a loosely coupled system. In keeping with the context out of which the request for this literature review arose, a sense of the literature invoked in the Research Base (2011) has been taken for granted. The focus of this document, then, is on literature—predominantly recent literature—that addresses issues associated with the implementation of teacher evaluation. This emphasis on implementation is in keeping with MERC’s mission to engage in …
Academic Rigor For All: A Review Of Literature, Gabriel Reich, Volkan Sevim, Amanda Turner
Academic Rigor For All: A Review Of Literature, Gabriel Reich, Volkan Sevim, Amanda Turner
MERC Publications
In this literature review, we will attempt to address the issue of academic rigor in several ways. First, we will review federal and Virginia policy documents that discuss academic rigor, and the research reports that influenced these documents. We will then attempt to articulate a clear definition of academic rigor that applies across academic contexts. This definition draws on the work of educational psychologists, sociologists, and scholars of teaching and learning. Finally we will review the research literature on rigorous classroom practice in two disciplines, history and mathematics.
An Examination Of Project Based Learning At The Secondary Level: A Review Of Literature, Candace Mirabile
An Examination Of Project Based Learning At The Secondary Level: A Review Of Literature, Candace Mirabile
MERC Publications
Project based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach designed to capture student interest by integrating a contemporary and relevant problem or issue with content standards. The expectation is that students who have not been successful under traditional teacher‐ centered/ lecture‐oriented instruction will be taken in by the opportunity to investigate a topic of personal interest using PBL. Moreover, some say that when constructivist learning (upon which PBL is based) is designed to reflect contemporary research methods and design protocols, students will be better prepared for the 21st century workplace (Apedoe, Reynolds, Ellefson & Schunn, 2008; Bell, 2010; Technology Assistance Program, …
“Silencing” The Powerful And “Giving” Voice To The Disempowered: Ethical Considerations Of A Dialogic Pedagogy, Adetty Pérez Miles
“Silencing” The Powerful And “Giving” Voice To The Disempowered: Ethical Considerations Of A Dialogic Pedagogy, Adetty Pérez Miles
Journal of Social Theory in Art Education
As an educator who is committed to social justice, I bring certain values and political commitments to the classroom. The counter-hegemonic voices that I bring into the classroom in the form of constructs, readings, assignments, discussions, and visual culture challenge more often than confirm students’ world-views and assumptions. The question that arises for me is whether I am silencing students’ voices through my teaching practices. Does my support of dialogic articulations and interests constitute privileging one “truth” or discourse over another? If so, am I using dialogue as a rhetorical device to persuade or to indoctrinate my students according to …
Formative Assessment And Benchmark Testing: Phase 2, Lisa Abrams, Divya Varier, James H. Mcmillan
Formative Assessment And Benchmark Testing: Phase 2, Lisa Abrams, Divya Varier, James H. Mcmillan
MERC Publications
As school districts respond to test-based accountability requirements the emphasis on using data to drive decision making has most recently focused on using interim or benchmark assessment results. The use of these assessments to monitor student progress and inform instruction with the aim to improve learning is widespread. When considered in a continuum of assessments based on the proximity to instruction, benchmark assessments are located between teachers’ minute-by-minute and daily formative assessment practices that are used to direct instruction to support learning, and the summative unit assessments, or tests administered after instruction has occurred to measure learning. As such, the …
A Second Chance To Graduate On Time: High School Students’ Perceptions On Participating In An Online Credit Recovery Program, Eric Jones
Theses and Dissertations
High schools in the United States are facing increased scrutiny to increase the number of students graduating with a diploma in four years. This pressure comes from many sources. First, the No Child Left Behind Act instituted graduation as a measure of a high school’s success at the federal level. States soon followed by increasing accountability in this area. Differences in how graduation rates were measured and advancements in data tracking technology led to many states measuring cohort groups of students who enter high school in the ninth grade and tracking them to see how many graduate in four years. …
Percentile Growth Modeling: A Policy Response To Educational Accountability, Martin Reardon
Percentile Growth Modeling: A Policy Response To Educational Accountability, Martin Reardon
MERC Publications
No abstract provided.
Encourage Self Regulated Learning In The Classroom, Sharon Zumbrunn, Joseph Tadlock, Elizabeth Danielle Roberts
Encourage Self Regulated Learning In The Classroom, Sharon Zumbrunn, Joseph Tadlock, Elizabeth Danielle Roberts
MERC Publications
Self-regulated learning (SLR) is recognized as an important predictor of student academic motivation and achievement. This process requires students to independently plan, monitor, and assess their learning. However, few students naturally do this well. This paper provides a review of the literature including: the definition of SRL; an explanation of the relationship between SRL and motivation in the classroom; specific SRL strategies for student use; approaches for encouraging student SRL; and a discussion of some of the challenges educators might encounter while teaching students to be self-regulated, life-long learners.
Teacher Evaluation: Artifacts That Document How The Work Of The Teacher Results In Student Academic Progress, Heather J. Bumgarner, Kristina Anthony
Teacher Evaluation: Artifacts That Document How The Work Of The Teacher Results In Student Academic Progress, Heather J. Bumgarner, Kristina Anthony
MERC Publications
Developed by the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Standards for the Professional Practice of Teachers (2011) includes seven teacher performance standards that define what teachers should know and be able to do. The seven performance standards cover professional knowledge, instructional planning, instructional delivery, assessment of and for student learning, learning environment, professionalism, and student academic progress. The Code of Virginia requires that teacher evaluation systems be consistent with the performance standards, and thus the Virginia Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers (Guidelines) (2011), which becomes effective July 1, 2012, serves as a guide for school …
Does Growth Data Make A Difference?: Teacher Decision Making Processes Using Growth Data Versus Status Data, Patricia Fox
Does Growth Data Make A Difference?: Teacher Decision Making Processes Using Growth Data Versus Status Data, Patricia Fox
Theses and Dissertations
This experiment examined decisions made by teachers using only status data with those made by teachers using growth and status data. Middle school math teachers from five schools within a single school division located in Virginia participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the status only or growth and status group. They were then asked to analyze a sample set of class data and complete a survey in which they rated the success of four types of students, identified teacher strengths and weaknesses, and rated their confidence in and the usefulness of the data received. Teachers with …
Home-Grown Teachers: Will Their Rural Roots Keep Them In Virginia's Rural Schools, Camilla Mahan
Home-Grown Teachers: Will Their Rural Roots Keep Them In Virginia's Rural Schools, Camilla Mahan
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research, based on Tönnies’s theory of Gemeinschaft and Durkheim’s theory of mechanical solidarity, was to determine if there were differences between rural Virginia teachers from rural areas and those from nonrural areas in their perceptions of salary, isolation, working conditions, NCLB requirements, and job satisfaction, as well as their plans to remain in rural schools. It also was to determine if there was a relationship between rural and nonrural backgrounds and the rural teachers’ intentions to remain employed in rural schools. Rural teachers from each of Virginia’s eight Superintendents’ Regions were selected and were asked to …
Death Notification Skills, Secondary Stress, And Compassion Fatigue In A Level One Urban Trauma Center, Enid Virago
Death Notification Skills, Secondary Stress, And Compassion Fatigue In A Level One Urban Trauma Center, Enid Virago
Theses and Dissertations
Abstract This quasi-experimental design study compared two small samples of Emergency medicine residents after one group had an educational intervention on death notification skills and the other did not. Comparisons were made on residents’ confidence in their communication, interpersonal skills and level of compassion fatigue/satisfaction and EM Residents’ level of Secondary Traumatic Stress after an event of patient death and subsequent notification of Secondary Patients. Residents were interviewed to gather recommendations for designing death notification curriculum. Over an eight month period, forty emergency medicine residents at two sites, control and intervention, completed surveys designed to provide quantitative data on self-confidence …
An Evaluation Of Program And Personnel Preparation Needs For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Maureen A. Conroy, Carol Schall, Joy Engstrom
An Evaluation Of Program And Personnel Preparation Needs For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Maureen A. Conroy, Carol Schall, Joy Engstrom
MERC Publications
The overall purpose of this project was to conduct a program evaluation of services provided to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) across all school divisions within the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC). Two phases of the project occurred between the spring of 2007 and fall of 2009. During the first phase, the MERC Policy and Planning Council identified Autism Spectrum Disorders as an area to target for investigation. A MERC Autism Study Team was formed with representatives from all school divisions within the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC). After several meetings, the Autism Study Team identified the need for …
A Systematic Examination Of Data-Driven Decision-Making Within A School Division: The Relationships Among Principal Beliefs, School Characteristics, And Accreditation Status, Beth Teigen
Theses and Dissertations
This non-experimental, census survey included the elementary, middle, and high school principals at the comprehensive schools within a large, suburban school division in Virginia. The focus of this study was the factors that influence building administrators in using data to make instructional decisions. The purpose was to discover if there is a difference in the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school principals of data use to make instructional decisions within their buildings. McLeod’s (2006) Statewide Data-Driven Readiness Study: Principal Survey was used to assess the principals’ beliefs about the data-driven readiness of their individual schools. Each principal indicated the …