Education Commons^™

Call To Action: The Impact Of Cyberbullying In The Covid Era, Katherine A. Graves, Monica Romero, Chad Rose, Lindsey Mirielli, Cannon Ousley, Tracey K. Milarsky, Evan Simpkins

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Given the recent COVID-19 pandemic, research suggests that students are spending an increased amount of time online. Consequently, the opportunity for students engaged in, or students who are a victim of cyberbullying has increased as well. Bullying no longer begins and ends with the school bells, it has infiltrated every aspect of students’ lives through the internet. Similarly, to bullying, cyberbullying leads to negative outcomes; the purpose of this article is to identify support, prevention, and intervention suggestions for parents, educators and schools, and mental health providers to decrease students’ cyberbullying involvement.

Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy & Support Among Secondary Early-Career Teachers And Their Principals During The Covid-19 Pandemic, James A. Martinez, Kelly Gomez Johnson, Frances E. Anderson, Frederick L. Uy

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

In response to challenges faced by middle and high school educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study was conducted in the Spring of 2021 involving 33 early-career mathematics teachers and eight supervising school principals in the State of California. These participants completed detailed surveys which provided demographic information, as well as perceptions of support, efficacy and job satisfaction. Findings show a variety of associations among teacher perceptions of support and their efficacy and job satisfaction in the face of challenging circumstances. As it related to principal support and recognition, principal participants expressed confidence in their ability to support teachers as …

District-University Collaborations To Support Reform-Based Mathematics Curriculum Implementation, Kelly Gomez Johnson, Amy L. Nebesniak, Theodore J. Rupnow

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Curriculum change is inevitable in schooling. For content areas such as mathematics that are already under the national spotlight, transitioning to new curriculum materials while concurrently enacting instructional reform creates both a challenge and an opportunity. This paper discusses how partnerships between two state universities and respective neighboring school districts resulted in the creation and implementation of graduate courses for teachers targeted at curricular and instructional reform specific to each district. Common course components between both university-district partnerships were identified in the areas of mathematics research, practice, and leadership advocacy and found to be instrumental in supporting instructional reform and …

A Tale Of Three Cities: Defining Urban Schools Within The Context Of Varied Geographic Areas, Connie Schaffer, Meg White, Corine M. Brown

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

What constitutes an urban school? This question has confounded social researchers and educators who often limit definitions to population data. H. Richard Milner suggested a framework for defining urban schools that includes population data as well as the racial and social context of schools. This article applied Milner’s model to school districts in New York, Nebraska, and New Mexico which exemplified Milner’s categories of urban schools: urban intensive, urban emergent, and urban characteristic. Application of the framework to the districts presents a model for teacher educators to deliver two important components of preservice preparation. First, the model can assist preservice …

Early-Childhood Teacher Candidates’ Service Learning With Family Book Celebrations, M. Susan Mcwilliams

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

An associate professor and a public school district administrator formed a family-school-community partnership to introduce family book celebrations to an early-learning center located in a high-poverty area in a midwestern city with more than 80% of children (n=75) who attended the center qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Primary goals for the celebrations were (a) to offer a venue for book-related experiences with families of children attending the early-learning center; (b) to engage early-childhood teacher candidates in service with families in an authentic and meaningful way; and (c) to analyze efficacy of the service-learning experience on teacher candidates. Overall, teacher …

The Effect Of Improved School Climate Over Time On Fifth-Grade Students’ Achievement Assessment Scores And Teacher Administered Grade Scores, Dawn M. Marten

Student Work

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of improved school climate, as teachers' beliefs changed from negative to positive over time, on students' reading, math, and writing assessment scores and teacher administered grade scores in reading, math, and writing. Overall, findings indicate that lose, maintain, or improve third-grade pretest compared to fifth-grade posttest Essential Learner Outcome assessment below proficient, barely proficient, proficient, or beyond proficient nomenclature category chi-square results were in the direction of statistically different nomenclature category improvement for reading ( X² (6, N = 75) = 22.00, p = .001), math (X^{2 …}

Grounded Technology Integration In Mathematics, Neal Grandgenett, Judi Harris, Mark Hofer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Teachers today can choose from a variety of technologies for teaching mathematics. Drill-and-practice software, virtual manipulatives, real-life data sets, interactive geometry programs, graphing calculators, robots, and computer-based laboratories are just a few of the options available. But it can be difficult for mathematics teachers to know just which technologies to choose to support student learning in particular lessons.

One way to help teachers integrate technologies effectively is to match technology integration strategies to how teachers plan, rather than asking teachers to plan instruction that exploits the opportunities offered by particular educational technologies. For more information, see our previous article ( …

Seeking The Sense Of Community: A Comparison Of Two Elementary School's Ethical Climates, Kay Anne Keiser, Laura E. Schulte

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

School climate is created through the combined culture of the adults and students within a school – both the culture they share as an organization and the diverse cultures they bring from home. This study compared the school climate of two elementary schools, one urban and one suburban, by measuring 179 fourth and fifth grade students’ and 65 teachers’ perceptions of their schools’ ethical climates. The Elementary School Ethical Climate Index (ESECI) was utilized to factor perceptions into teacher to student, student to teacher/learning environment, and student to student interactions. For each of the ESECI subscales, two-way analyses of variance …

Rethinking Mathematics Assessment: Some Reflections On Solution Dynamics As A Way To Enhance Quality Indicators, Elliott Ostler, Neal Grandgenett, Carol Mitchell

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This paper is intended to offer some reflections on the difficulties associated with the appropriate use of rubric assessment in mathematics at the secondary level, and to provide an overview of an assessment technique, hereafter referred to as solution dynamics, as a way to enhance popular rubric assessment techniques. Two primary aspects of solution dynamics are presented in this manuscript. The first aspect considers how the tasks assigned in mathematics classrooms might be better organized and developed to demonstrate an evolving student understanding of the subject. The second aspect illustrates how revised scoring parameters reduce the potential for scoring inconsistencies …

Rural Superintendents: How Do Wyoming Rural Superintendents View And Respond To The Challenges Brought About By External Demands On Their Schools?, Jeanne L. Surface

Faculty Books and Monographs

Very little is known about how superintendents respond to and view the challenges brought about by increasing external performance demands on their schools. This important study uses a multi-case study format to create portraits of five rural superintendents, the challenges they face, and their responses to those challenges. The participant perceptions were organized into five themes: declining enrollment, isolation, board and community relations, celebrated accomplishments, and rural schools in contrast with urban or suburban schools. The superintendents were most proud of changes they had made to improve instruction in their districts. They spoke of challenges with bringing professional development to …

Mentoring Teacher's Stories: Caring Mentors Help Novice Teachers Stick With Teaching And Develop Expertise, Jarene Fluckiger, Sheryl Mcglamery, Nancy Edick

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The article describes the challenges being faced by novice teachers and the role of mentors for novice teachers to stay in the profession and develop expertise. Educators have gathered evidence showing the need for mentors to help novice teachers stay in teaching and develop into master teachers. Longitudinal quantitative studies have indicated that novice teachers participating in this comprehensive induction program improved their effectiveness faster than their peers not in such a program. A frequently cited reason for attrition is teacher isolation.

Exploring Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Preparedness For Culturally Responsive Teaching, Mary T. Brauch Petersen

Student Work

This study sought to examine how teachers perceived they were prepared for culturally responsive teaching (CRT). CRT refers to the ability of a teacher to use prior knowledge or experience to either teach children of diversity certain content topics or to teach all children in the classroom cultural topics. Culturally responsive teaching is demonstrated by teachers' possessing" (a) knowledge and sensitivity about cultural influences, (b) ability to provide a supportive learning context, (c) appropriate instruction and assessment, and (d) facilitation of parental involvement" (Daunic, Correa, & Reyes-Blanes, 2004, p. 106).

A Comparison Of Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of The Behaviors Of Effective Catholic Elementary School Principals, Diane M. Cronin

Student Work

This was a quantitative study investigating three main questions. The first two questions ascertained teachers' and parents' perceptions of the most important behaviors of effective Catholic elementary school principals in the areas of leadership styles, religious leader, instructional leader, administrator, and communicator, and the third question compared the perceptions of the two groups.

Instructional Methods And Efficacy Of Teachers Trained In Differentiated Instruction, Patricia A. Crum

Student Work

This study examined the instructional methods and efficacy of teachers involved in a two-part district staff development project in differentiated instruction. Responses from 194 kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers on a self-perception survey were collected after an initial district staff training and implementation and again after involvement in a second teacher centered district staff development plan in differentiated instruction with implementation time. The data collected were analyzed to determine what instructional methods and efficacy the staff displayed and to determine whether a change in teachers' perceptions occurred during the 9-month period following the second district plan.

Factors That Keep Teachers With Perceived Leadership Potential From Seeking Secondary Principal And Assistant Principal Positions, Wesley J. Galusha

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine what factors discourage or inhibit secondary school teachers who have demonstrated leadership potential from seeking secondary principal and assistant principal positions. There has been little systematic research investigating why teachers choose not to become school administrators, from their own perspective(s).

The Development And Validation Of The Ethical Climate Index For Middle And High Schools, Laura E. Schulte, Franklin Titus Thompson, Jeanie Talbott, Ann Luther, Michelle Garcia, Shirley Blanchard, Laraine Conway, Melanie Mueller

Counseling Faculty Publications

One school characteristic that needs to be considered as important in keeping schools safe is school climate. The purposes of this study were to develop and validate an instrument that measures the ethical climate of middle and high schools. To create the School Ethical Climate Index (SECI), we adapted the Ethical Climate Index for graduate and professional school programs to apply to middle and high schools. The SECI measures a school’s sense of community by assessing student and teacher interactions and relationships through the application of five ethical principles: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity. To provide evidence …

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 …

Correlates Among Teachers’ Anxieties, Demographics, And Telecomputing Activity, Judith B. Harris, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Are educators' anxiety levels or demographics related to their voluntary use of networked resources? In this study, one year of logins and online time for 189 randomly selected educators with accounts on Tenet (Texas Education Network) were correlated with six interval-level subject attribute variables: (a) writing apprehension, (b) oral communication apprehension, (c) computer anxiety, (d) age, (e) teaching experience, and (f) telecomputing experience. The usage data were also correlated with three nominal-level subject attribute variables: (a) gender, (b) professional specialty, and (c) teaching level. Results indicated that writing apprehension was significantly and negatively correlated with network use, and that telecomputing …