Education Commons^™

Communicating Student Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study Of Communication Effectiveness, Nicholas Branson

Dissertations

Assessment, Communicating evidence, Education, Evaluation, Higher education, Student outcomes

A Comparison Of Education In Post-Revolutionary Mexico And Post-Independence India, Yver Alonso Melchor-Hernandez

Dissertations

Comparison, Education, History, India, Mexico

A Phenomenological Study Of Catholic Priests Working And Headteachers In Government - Funded Catholic Secondary Schools, Joseph Kaye

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the skills, behaviors and lived experience of priests who are headteachers in government-funded Catholic secondary schools in Butare Catholic diocese. This study might help the bishop and diocesan policy makers in identifying the type of formation, skills and behaviors priests need to be effective headteachers in Catholic schools. To achieve the purpose of this study, I used a phenomenological methodology to collect and analyze the data. The participants in this study are priests who are headteachers in government-funded Catholic secondary schools of Butare Catholic diocese. The major goals of …

Teacher Perceptions And Experiences With Self-Regulation Strategies In General Education Classrooms, Sofia Flores-Perez

Dissertations

General education teachers are now serving students with both special education needs and regular education students within a general education environment. Inclusionary practices are increasingly becoming common practice. However, teacher prep-programs concentrate on lesson planning and not enough training is emphasized on classroom management or behavior/academic intervention strategies. There is a dearth of qualitative studies gaining teachers perspectives on this phenomenon. This qualitative study will seek to gain insight about teachers' experiences, perspectives, and practices regarding implementation of self-regulation strategies within a general education setting. the research questions will gain insight on what strategies could look like in a general …

Feminism And School Leadership: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Effective Women Principals' Self-Perceptions To Determine What Makes Them Successful, Christina Maria Sylvester

Dissertations

Women are underrepresented in a variety of fields, including educational leadership. Upon assuming leadership roles, women often struggle to effectively lead due to a pervasive context of sexism and genderism in the workplace. Schools are not immune to this phenomenon. Since women comprise approximately 50% of the population, it seems logical that they should assume a comparable percentage of leadership roles in education, but this is not the case. Beyond parity, it is important that there are not only more women leaders in educational administration but also that those women in leadership roles are supported within a context that enables …

An Action Research Project Addressing The Perception Of Strengths And Barriers To Communication At The Onset Of The Mtss Initiative Within The High School Setting, Taliah Ziyad-Nau

Dissertations

The issue that this study addresses is the communication of the MTSS initiative within the high school setting. The MTSS process will allow access to evidence based intervention programs for student social, emotional support. The study consists of parallel interview protocols to understand the perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses in the communication of how to access the student support services. The results of interviewing a sample of staff and parents to understand how to improve access to student social, emotional supports within the high school setting indicated that the strength of the MTSS initiative related to the availability of …

The Mckinney-Vento Act: Moving Beyond Aspirations To More Effective Implementation, Michael Cermak

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study is to investigate teachers' knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McK-V; the Act) and their perceptions of how to best meet the needs of the population of homeless students in schools. The literature base has shown that implementation of the Act has been largely inconsistent due to the lack of formal implementing regulations and a lack of awareness on the part of many educators. A professional development presentation was developed for teachers in order to increase their knowledge, and following the use of a pre/post/ delayed post-test survey, ascertain the impact of …

Leading Effective Change In Schools Of The 21st Century: The Attributes, Behaviors, And Practices Of Effective School Principals, Jennifer Lynne Ferrari

Dissertations

In a period of tremendous change, as the educational landscape shifts to ensure our students are well prepared for new and unknown futures, the role of school principal is more essential than ever. The principal, as primary driver of change, sits at the helm of school improvement. He/she is charged with leading the complex orchestration of school efforts to develop and nurture the next generation of thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators.

This study explored the attributes, behavior, and practices of effective K-12 principals through a mixed method design. Nine principals from the suburbs of Chicago participated in this study. Using 5Essential …

Entre Dos Tierras: Between Two Lands: Stories Of Latinx Immigrant Students In Us Public High Schools, Yahaira Diaz

Dissertations

The election of the 45th president of the United States has increased a sense of anxiety, fear, and xenophobia for many in our country. The divisive campaign and current discussion of policy is demeaning towards LGBT communities, people with disabilities, women, and ethnic minorities, specifically the immigrant population. The nation’s current preoccupation with and much deserved attention towards a comprehensive immigration reform and the continuance of immigration into the United States has impacted the rise of anti-Hispanic hate crimes and xenophobia (Shihadeh & Barranco, 2013; Stacey, Carbone-Lopez, & Rosenfeld, 2011; Yakushko, 2009). Educators report an increase in hostility against immigrants …

An Examination Of Multicultural Competence And Racial Colorblindness Among School Psychologists, Sandy D. Flores

Dissertations

The field of school psychology has developed a strong commitment to culturally competent practice. However, there is a lack of literature examining multicultural competence among school psychologists. The present study sought to address this need using a two-pronged approach. First, the study expanded the research base for a self-report multicultural competence scale by administering the measure to a sample of practicing school psychologists. Second, the study investigated the relationship between racial colorblindness and self-perceived multicultural competence among school psychologists by administering an additional racial colorblindness measure. Given that similar fields have identified the negative impact of racial colorblindness on multicultural …

Latino Students In Suburban High Schools: An Examination Of School Malleable Predictors Of High School Graduation, Kira Jean Hicks

Dissertations

Despite recent gains, Latino students drop out of high schools in the United States at a higher rate than their peers and at a significant cost. As more Latino students move to the suburbs, it is important for suburban high schools to meet their needs and solidify their path to graduation. Practices that appear to be promising in keeping students on track to graduate have been developed and studied in urban education settings and need to be validated with other populations and settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the indicators that are predictive of on time graduation …

Exploring The Impact Of Mindfulness On Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Approach, Poonam Desai

Dissertations

As social emotional learning gains greater focus, identifying effective interventions for high-risk students, such as students with Emotional/ Behavioral Disorder (EBD), becomes a priority. Mindfulness, as an intervention, offers a unique set of skills to increase emotional awareness and regulation, while also teaching key social emotional skills (Singh et al, 2007). Mindfulness, or the nonjudgmental observation of one's thoughts, feelings, and emotions, has roots in Buddhist philosophy, but is used secularly in the fields of psychology, medicine, and education (Baer, 2003). In this mixed methods study, the researcher aims to examine the experiences of adolescents who have EBD at an …

Incomplete Reporting: Addressing The Problem Of Outcome-Reporting Bias In Educational Research, Brian Patrick Trainor

Dissertations

Outcome-reporting bias is a problem that pervades many research disciplines including education. Outcome-reporting bias involves any time the outcomes presented in a published journal article do not accurately reflect all of the outcomes that were collected throughout the course of a study. In other words, when outcome-reporting bias is present, the information which is disseminated to the academic research community is incomplete and can lead to serious problems over time. Some of these problems include school districts implementing interventions based on incomplete or inaccurate data, as well as the problem that naturally arises for those implementing meta-analysis or systematic review …

Perceptions Of Value And Perceived Strengths Of Arts Education During An Age Of Accountability: Conditions And Qualities That Shape A Citizenry - Implications For Leadership, Stephen Tyler Plank

Dissertations

This research examines the perceptions of arts education during periods of educational efficiency and accountability focusing specifically on the arguments made by advocates for the value of arts education within the Chicago area. It is intended to help leaders understand how we can learn from our past through revealing cyclical behaviors that can guide future decisions about how best to lead a school.

This study utilized a mixed methodology of historical documentary with oral history to compare two distinct time periods in education focusing on schools that operated in opposition to the norms of the time. Historical documentary was used …

Motivating Factors Of Elementary Teachers (K-5) In Illinois Who Belong To Veteran, Baby Boomer, Generation X, And Generation Y Age Bands: A Study Of Ways In Which Improved Generational Intelligence Can Impact School Leaders, Scott Schwartz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study focused on identifying the perceived factors needed for

maintaining and improving job satisfaction of K-5 teachers in Illinois. Determining how

school leaders can improve their understanding of all generations, and therefore work to

increase motivation amongst a growing age span of teachers, is of increasing importance. Increased legal and mandated demands in the field of education have made teaching and school administration more challenging. Based on what the field of education knows about motivation and research on generational intelligences this study answered questions about what building principals need to understand about Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation …

A Survey Study Of Prepare Workshop Participants' Application Of Knowledge, Confidence Levels, And Utilization Of School Crisis Response And Recovery Training Curriculum, Brian Richard Lazzaro

Dissertations

This survey study investigated the effects of the National Association of School Psychologists PREPaRE Workshop 2 training on workshop participants. PREPaRE is a comprehensive crisis prevention and intervention model that is specifically designed for schools. This study evaluated the impact of the PREPaRE model and the training of school psychologists in terms of (a) can school psychologists apply the knowledge gained when responding to crisis situations as a result of the PREPaRE training? (b) what are school psychologists' perceptions of their confidence in responding to an actual crisis situation? (c) and have school psychologists utilized PREPaRE response and recovery techniques …

Depopulation And Education In A Mexican Migrant Town: Schools In Villa Juarez, San Luis Potosi, 1942-2000, Magda Banda

Dissertations

While educational systems have been governed by the policies of the nation-state and have been contained within state borders, the transformations brought about by the economic, social, and political repercussions of globalization have added layers of complexity to issues in education. This is true in particular of agrarian communities, such as Villa Juarez, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. National educational policies have led to new challenges in agrarian societies as they undergo not only ideological exchanges but the movement of populations that have led to international and national demographic shifts. One of the main issues that this research will investigate is …

The Impact Of Title I Program Funding Through A Comparison Of Schoolwide Assistance And Targeted Assistance On Fifth Grade Reading Achievement Scores In Illinois: Implications For Leadership In Public Education, Michael E. Robey

Dissertations

The ability to read with proficiency and comprehension is one of the basic goals of our educational system. Adequacy of funding these goals, particularly for lower income students, continues to be a challenge. Despite the efforts of a variety of educational reforms many students, particularly the economically disadvantaged, continue to struggle with basic reading skills.

The intent of this study is to help school leaders in identifying whether schoolwide or targeted assistance programs funded through Title I schools are associated with higher reading achievement. The study measured reading achievement for fifth grade students in Illinois using data from the Illinois …

How Does Internet Facilitated Communication Impact Teacher And Parent Partnerships?, Mara Paich Grujanac

Dissertations

In 2001, Public Law 107-110, known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, mandated that public schools become accountable for the achievement of all public school students. Included in Public Law 107-110 is a section that mandates that schools involve parents in the functioning of the institution and that parents be involved in their child's education. Schools have been utilizing Internet Facilitated Communication (IFC) to facilitate parent involvement within the school community.

This dissertation concentrates on parent-teacher communication specifically as it pertains to student achievement. This study examined the ways parents and teachers utilize electronic communication to invite …

Political Activity As Advocacy: Through The Eyes Of The Illinois Superintendent, Julie Fogarty

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to expand the research concerning Illinois School Superintendents' perceptions of the importance of understanding, responding to and influencing the political context of schools in Illinois. The overarching research question for this study asked: What are Illinois superintendents' perceptions of the effectiveness of political activity as they advocate for resources and services to improve opportunities for student learning? The findings for this study were gathered through interviews with eleven active Superintendents in Lake County, Illinois. Interview transcripts were compared to the literature review including the political and economic climate in Illinois, networking, lobbying and working …

Education, Fascism, And The Catholic Church In Franco's Spain, Joan Domke

Dissertations

Societies in transition are vulnerable to strong forces for political change. When Franco's fascist government defeated the socialist party that had taken control from 1931 to 1936, it aligned itself with Spain's Catholic Church. For most of Spain's history, the established Church culture had been inseparable from Spanish identity and Catholicism was taught in all schools, private and public. Therefore, under the guise of religion, the government used the educational system as a means of socialization, connecting nationalism and religion to promote their fascist agenda. The purpose of this historiographic study is to examine the relationships among the school, government, …