Education Commons^™

Impact Of Covid-19 On Student Preparedness In Introductory English Composition Courses, Christopher W. Guillory

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

The rapid spread of COVID-19, which lead to a global pandemic, caused educational systems to switch from face-to-face learning to some form of online or remote delivery. This abrupt change in learning may have impacted students’ ability to be successful in college. The purpose of this study was to compare the passage rate of students enrolled in an English composition course before the spread of COVID-19 and after the spread of COVID-19. This study used Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, which looks at how people adapt to changes in their surroundings, and Astin’s Student Involvement Theory, which looks at people’s …

Curriculum Is A Map, Not A Gps: Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction In Urban Schools, Danielle Hay

Culminating Experience Projects

With the literacy achievement gap growing, particularly in urban schools, many teachers are missing the training, tools, and support necessary to best meet the needs of their students beyond the curriculum given. This project argues the importance of sustainable teacher improvement through reflective, collaborative professional development and the support of a literacy coach. To attain the highest impact on student achievement, teachers must have a deep understanding of their students as well as evaluate their current teaching practices to identify where students may need additional support and what classroom practices may need to be adjusted. By providing students with a …

Effects Of Differentiated Literacy Instruction In A Kindergarten Classroom, Brenda Nagel

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if using differentiating literacy in kindergarten led to more successful student achievement. This included implementing multi-sensory learning, learning styles, positive relationships, and relevant, specific data. The researcher is a kindergarten teacher in her 6th year of teaching, where her own students participated in the class-wide intervention. The timeline for conducting this action research was eight weeks. This included the quantitative phonics pre-assessment through FAST (Formative Assessment System for Teachers), implementation of differentiated literacy activities tailored to various learning styles, collection of purposeful and relevant quantitative data, and a post-assessment on literacy …

Tier Ii Interventions: Utilizing An Interventionist At The Secondary Level, Sarah Ham

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of an interventionist conducting Tier II interventions on student achievement. The research setting was a high school English language arts classroom in Iowa where the participants included 58 ninth-grade students. In previous years, interventions were taught by the ELA teacher in the classroom; this action research dictated that an interventionist teach the Tier II intervention lesson to non-proficient students during class. Quantitative data from these participants was collected to assess the impact of an interventionist on student achievement in two reading skills: identifying the main idea and summarizing. Assessment …

The Influence Of English Language Arts Instructional Minutes On Student Achievement In Grades 6, 7, & 8, Franklin Goulburn

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to examine if a relationship existed between allocated English Language Arts (ELA) instructional minutes within a school’s bell schedule for Grades 6, 7, and 8 and its corresponding mean PARCC score for that grade. Furthermore, the study also sought to detect the presence of an interaction effect regarding time, socioeconomic status, and student performance. The study controlled for other student, faculty, and school variables as well. Data for ELA instructional time were obtained from school personnel and also through school websites. Additional variable were obtained through the New Jersey School Performance Reports …

Literacy Coaching Serving As A Way To Create Self-Efficacy In Educators, Stifle Teacher Burnout, And Improve Student Achievement Scores: A Framework For Coaching, Jamie L. Grant

Award Winners

Current legislation and push for higher student achievement has teacher expectations at an all-time high. Highly skilled teachers can significantly affect student growth, however more and more highly qualified teachers are leaving the field due to lack of appropriate support within their classrooms. This project argues for the importance of literacy coaching to create a collaborative and supportive environment for teachers. Literacy coaches are able to support teachers’ best literacy practice, create an environment of collaboration, and provide ongoing and supportive professional development for the classroom teacher. This collaborative environment and ongoing support can combat teacher burnout and help teachers …

Fostering Agency In Single-Gender, Middle Level Ela Classrooms: A Descriptive Multiple-Case Study, Jennifer V. Stowe

Theses and Dissertations

Students’ sense of agency or self-efficacy has been linked to student achievement levels (Goodman & Eren, 2013; Johnston, 2004; Skinner, Wellborne, & Connell, 1990). Research has also established that teachers position their students as having agency in the context of the classroom, frequently by the ways that they use language (Johnston, 2004; Paulson & Theado, 2014). However, little, if any, extant research describes teacher language as it relates to agency within the middle level English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. Additionally, studies concerning agency rarely address the ways in which gender may influence the ways in which teachers position their students …

The Effect Of Technology On Student Achievement With English Language Learners In An Early Childhood Classroom Setting, Tiffany Vasquez-Dewein

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if there was a correlation between the use of iPads to improve student achievement and traditional methods of teaching with four and five-year-old English language learners (ELLs). Two control groups of four ELLs were taught in math three times a week. Control group A was taught using iPad applications to support math teaching in alongside traditional teachings in math. Control group B were taught with age appropriate early childhood materials such as counting cards and manipulatives to support the traditional teachings in math. Data was collected at the end of …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Teacher’S College Reading And Writing Project Balanced Literacy Instructional Framework And The Reading Proficiency Of Economically Disadvantaged Students, Latonya Elise Gaines-Montgomery

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) and its impact on the reading achievement of economically disadvantaged students. TCRWP was implemented at two high poverty schools (over 80% economically disadvantaged students) in southeastern North Carolina. Stufflebeam’s (2003) revised CIPP evaluation model was used to evaluate the program along with a convergent mixed-methods design. The data analysis revealed that TCRWP as well as the schools’ strategic plans were aligned to the schools’ assessed needs. Additionally, the analysis showed that implementation of TCRWP aligned to the schools’ initial implementation designs. The …

Elementary Principals' Literacy Practices And Their Relationship To Student Achievement In Reading, Sandra Carper Cox

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Principal behavior is under intense scrutiny, particularly in light of increased demands for higher and higher levels of student achievement. Reading achievement is the measure by which schools as well as principal leadership are judged. This study examined principals' literacy practices and their relationship to student achievement in reading. Measures used for analyses included a researcher-developed survey instrument, the Principal Quality Literacy Practices Survey, and results from the grade five Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) English: Reading test.

Survey data from 109 principals and 160 reading specialists from Southeastern Virginia were utilized. Principals and reading specialists reported that overall principals' …