Educational Leadership Commons^™

Ripple Of Hope: Understanding The Lived Experience And Academic Achievement Of Latinx Students At Arrupe College And Dougherty Family College: A Case Study, Richard P. Virgin

Dissertations

One of the most common and important entry points into higher education for Latinx and other underrepresented students is through community college. However, national completion rates for Latinx community college students have been trailing their white peers. This gap in academic achievement has prevailed since the 1990s. The trailing rates of degree completion for Latinx students can lead to lower lifetime salary earnings, lack of career advancement, greater risk of losing employment, and an increased chance of living in poverty. However, a successful community college model may be seen as a disruptor in the educational sector due to its much …

The Impact Of School Nurses: A Program Evaluation Of K-12 School Nursing In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Clarence D. Collins, Edwina Mcneill-Simaan, Lyons Hardy, Amber M. Butler

Doctor of Education Capstones

Since the early 1900s, the provision of school nursing and school health services in the K-12 educational setting has been an important component of supporting student academic success, reducing student absenteeism, and promoting positive health outcomes in the United States. The Commonwealth of Virginia was historically one of the first states in the U.S. to employ school nurses. K-12 schools in Virginia have continued to support the practice of school nursing for over 100 years; however, the Virginia state legislature has not formalized a requirement for school nurses in the state code. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is responsible …

The Relationship Between Student Engagement And Act Aspire Reading Scores Among Ninth-Grade Students In One Northwest Arkansas Junior High School, Dwight Vincent Jr.

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic achievement and attendance. Reading proficiency is foundational to overall academic success. In this study, reading proficiency served as the operational definition for the level of student academic success. Out-of-school suspension is a disciplinary consequence as a result of student behavior and correlates to student attendance. This quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between student engagement, as defined by student attendance and discipline, and reading proficiency, as measured by the 2021-22 ACT Aspire Reading scores for ninth-grade students in one northwest Arkansas junior high school.

Descriptive data analysis was …

Effective Parental Involvement In Catholic Middle Schools In Houston, Texas, Anthonia Ogochukwu Osuesu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This applied study was aimed at solving the problem of inadequate parental involvement at Catholic middle schools in Houston, Texas. A multi-method design was used to address the problem. Interviews, focus groups, and surveys with educators and parents of learners in Catholic middle schools in Houston, Texas were utilized to solve the problem. The main question that guided this study was, “How can the problem of inadequate Igbo parental involvement in middle schools be solved at Catholic schools in Houston, Texas?” The researcher analyzed data for codes and themes from the interviews and focus groups and used descriptive statistics for …

Leveraging Results-Driven Accountability To Improve Academic And Behavioral Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Lori R. Anderson

Education Theses and Dissertations

The Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) vision for Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) is that OSEP will target its work and investments to best support States in improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. State Education Agencies (SEAs) are accountable to OSEP regarding Results Driven Accountability reporting and supporting school districts in the process of improving outcomes for students in special populations. RDA is an accountability system to report data to district and campus leaders related to academic achievement, postsecondary readiness, and disproportionate analysis of students who are Bilingual Emergent/English as a Second Language Learners (BE/ESL), experiencing homelessness, …

Exploring High School Students’ Perceptions Of The Influence Of Fine Arts Education On Academic Achievement, Samantha Fields

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative study aims to explore student perceptions of fine arts exposure on academic achievement in a southwestern Georgia high school. The study focuses specifically on exposure time and how it affects students academically. Qualitative research methods were used for this investigation. Information was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and artifacts analysis to better understand student perceptions of how fine arts education impacts their personal growth and academic success. This study’s findings provide insights about discovering students’ perceptions of fine arts exposure in relation to personal academic achievement. The results of this investigation can help educate stakeholders and policymakers as they …

The Relationship Between Academic Self-Efficacy And Academic Achievement Of First-Time First-Year Students Enrolled At A Technical College, Heather Marie Hoppe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student persistence, retention, and completion are continued concerns in higher education. While external influences contribute to persistence and retention, the focus of this research study was to determine the academic self-efficacy and self-regulated factors that influence the academic achievement of first-time first-year students who persist from the fall to spring semester at a Southeastern technical college. One hundred four first-time first-year students who persisted from fall 2021 to spring 2022 completed an Academic Self-Efficacy Survey. There were five significant predictors identified in the analysis. The three self-regulated learning tasks: “I can finish homework assignments by deadlines,” “I can organize my …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Disability Status Disclosure, Accommodation Use, And Student Success: Curricular And Co-Curricular Implications, Kaela Marie Parks

Dissertations and Theses

Colleges and universities rely on the individualized accommodation process to ensure access for students with disabilities, however, there is ample evidence that educational inequity is pervasive. This study used a critical and comparative quantitative methodology (n=6,500) to investigate data from a large urban community college, analyzing the relationship between final grades and accommodation eligibility and use across academic disciplines and curricular modalities (in-person vs. on-line) to identify implications for the academic success of students with disabilities. Results indicate disability inequity varies across racial identity groups and racial inequity persists across disability status groups. Results also indicate that accommodation may be …

Navigating The Transition: Strategies For Supporting The Success Of At-Risk Youth From Middle School To High School And Beyond, Jessica L. Hlavinka

University Honors Theses

It has been demonstrated that small class sizes are beneficial for at-risk students transferring to high school. With fewer students, teachers are better able to give personalized attention and assistance, which can encourage students' engagement and motivation to study. Small class numbers can also foster a feeling of community and belonging, which is essential for at-risk students who may feel alienated at school. Also shown to be successful in assisting at-risk adolescents with the transition to high school are mentoring programs. High school students can get assistance and support from mentors as they negotiate the obstacles of the academic environment. …

How Coteaching Impacts Student Academic Growth In Elementary School, Sally-Rose Cragin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of co-teaching on the academic achievement of elementary students in English Language Arts (ELA). The current body of research related to co-teaching is primarily qualitative and mostly inconclusive (Hurd & Weilbacher 2017). After the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, it is vital for educational institutions to implement research-based practices to support students with and without disabilities in their Least Restrictive Environments (LRE). This study took a quantitative approach and utilized a causal-comparative design to answer the question: How does a co-taught classroom in comparison …

Is There A Difference In Academic Achievement Between Remote Learners And Face-To-Face Learners Between The School Years Of 2020-21 And 2021-22?, Anthony Aiello

Theses and Dissertations

Will there be a difference in academic achievement between remote learners and face-to-face learners between the school years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 school year? Archived data of approximately 1,200 students from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years was used from a suburban secondary school servicing students grades 9-12. The school district located in the northeastern part of the United States. Independent samples t test and two-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine if there were statistically significant differences in academic achievement between the 2020-21 and 2021-2022 school years, the remote learners based upon the two groups (remote learners, face-to-face learners). In …

Increasing Collaboration To Improve Student Outcomes: Improvement Science, Cassandra Diane Thonstad

Dissertations and Theses

The aspiration of achieving equitable outcomes for all students is a focus of schools, districts, and communities but has largely remained unattainable with the top-down implementation of change ideas and directives that come and go as quickly as they are implemented. Too often the direct users, students and classroom staff, are left out of the conversations around what works best to improve student success, contributing to the achievement gaps experienced by our students of color, students receiving special education or English language services, or in the case of a hook discipline, young men. By utilizing Improvement Science through collaboration across …

Schooling Black Males: Hegemonic Discourses, Structural Barriers, And Strategic Resistance, Cleo Wadley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black males have scored at the lowest levels of academic achievement compared to other racial groups in many Texas school districts. The achievement gap for this population of students has been explained by both material constraints and oppressive hegemonic discourses. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how such barriers and discourses affected these students and how the students negotiated their experiences in school. This study was designed to describe the problem, its background and to discuss a relevant theoretical framework. This study examined the academic achievement data for Black males and the current literature on adverse …

Understanding The Perceptions Of African American High School Students On The Development Of Student-Teacher Relationships, Michael Hensley

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Studies have shown the positive associations between academic achievement, student engagement, and student-teacher relationships (Willms, 2003; Roorda et al., 2011). However, limited research exists on the subject of student-teacher relationships from the student perspective, and virtually no literature focuses on student-teacher relationships from the student perspective in the southern United States. This qualitative study was designed to collect and examine the perceptions of African American high school students in Arkansas on the development of student-teacher relationships. Data was collected through focus group meetings held with African American students in two diverse high schools. The constant comparative method of data analysis …

What Are Student And Staff Perspectives On The Influence Of Smaller Learning Communities On Sense Of Belonging And Academic Achievement?, Natalie A. Saiz

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

In an era of educational reform, schools face the significant challenge of increasing academic achievement. Learning Communities have emerged as a method of school reform with some research suggesting their link to increasing academic achievement and personalizing learning environments. Using individual and focus group interviews, this qualitative case study examines the use of Learning Communities as a reform initiative at a high school in New Mexico to facilitate a stronger sense of belonging among students and to provide individualized guidance, tracking, and support. Findings on the influence of Learning Communities are presented: addition of Advisory/Advisor which provides academic assistance, …

Relationships Of Teacher Perceptions And Racially Diverse Third Grade Student Achievement : An Analysis Of Ecls-K:2011 Data University At Albany, Lynnette Renee Williams

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACTIt has been over 50 years since desegregation efforts began and many public-school systems in the United States are still battling with performance gaps between White and historically underrepresented students. The term historically underrepresented refers to people from diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have been denied access or suffered institutional discrimination in the United States, and according to the U.S. Census includes Blacks/African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans (Artiles et al., 2010). Many historically underrepresented students are lagging behind their peers on academic performance measures, standardized achievement tests, high school graduation, and college-career readiness …

Investigating Beliefs: White Female Teachers' Perceptions Of Black Boys And Their Subsequent Achievement-A Qualitative Study, Kirky L. Morris

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Black males continue to be the lowest-performing subgroup on state standardized tests in the United States of America. A very large majority of teachers are White females. This study examined the impact of White female teachers' beliefs and actions on the achievement of Black male students. Data was collected via interviews with White female teachers that teach in grades 3, 4, and 5 in a Midwestern urban city. Because I’m a Black male principal and the participants were White females, we were intentional about having a White female do the interviews so that the participants could answer questions about their …

The Perspectives Of Head Start Employed Community College Students Who Earned An Associate Degree In Early Childhood Education Programs: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Challenges And Successes, Robyne E. Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The U.S. federally funded Head Start programs serve more than one million low-income children and their families each year in education and health programs. Historically there have been few requirements for formal education for Head Start teachers. In response to research linking teacher education and outcomes for children, increased educational requirements were included in the program funding reauthorizations in recent decades. For a variety of reasons, community college early childhood education programs are a logical place for those already employed by Head Start to improve their qualifications. At the same time, these institutions tend to have low graduation rates, and …

The Relationship Between Cardiovascular Fitness And Body Mass Index To Student Achievement In 5th Grade Hispanic Children Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas, Maricela Hernandez, Rosalinda Hernandez, Alejandro Garcia

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between cardiovascular fitness, body mass index and academic performance in 547 Hispanic children in 5th grade from a Rio Grande Valley school district. The dependent variable, academic performance, was measured by children’s gain score on the STAAR Progress Measure for Reading and Math assessments. The independent variables of physical fitness were measured by scores on cardiovascular fitness and body mass index from the FITNESSGRAM assessment. The statistical and data analysis method used by this study utilized multiple regression. The results revealed that body mass index was correlated with academic …

Sense Of Belonging From A Distance: How Online Students Describe, Perceive, And Experience Belonging To The Institution, Marleigh Luster Perez

Dissertations and Theses

The availability and ease of access to online bachelor's degree programs has led to a dynamic shift in the world of higher education. While overall, there has been a decrease in student enrollments, distance student enrollment has been growing. According to a report by the Babson Survey Research Group, between the fall of 2012 and the fall of 2016 students pursuing higher education at all levels across degree-granting institutions fell by 3.8%. During the same four-year period, the percentage of those students choosing to take all or some of their courses at a distance increased from 25.9% to 29.7%. Among …

Health And Academic Achievement In College And University Students, Amber Beane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between academic achievement and health in a national sample of college students using quantitative data analysis. Specifically, the researcher analyzed the relationship between three health-promoting behaviors (physical activity, strength training, and fruit and vegetable consumption), three negative health behaviors (cigarette, e-cigarette, and opioid use) and obesity with GPA.

Cross-sectional data on student health collected from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA-II) and completed by 426,650 college students from 650 U.S. colleges during the semesters between 2015 and 2019 formed the foundation for …

An Instrumental Case Study: Growth Mindset Instructional Best Practices For Learning Disabled Students, Brenda L. Cornell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem that drove this study was that students who struggle in school, especially those with a non-intelligence-based learning disability, suffer from a fixed mindset after years of feelings of failure in school. This mindset causes them to develop maladaptive approaches to learning that inhibit success. The purpose of this study was to describe the best practices of reading teachers who have a reputation for high student achievement and who adhere to a growth mindset in an effort to build a growth mindset culture with their students. This qualitative instrumental case study was conducted through interviews of eleven reading teachers/specialists …

Cultural Wealth And The Racialized Experiences Of Persisting Latinx Business Students In A Predominantly White Institution: A Study On Sense Of Belonging, Rebecca Sue Sanchez

Dissertations and Theses

The changing landscape of higher education calls for a shift in approach to ensure that all students are given not just the opportunity but also the environment in which to succeed. In order to facilitate the growing demand for a diverse workforce, universities must work to retain students and support them sufficiently as they move toward graduation. Student persistence rates from year one to year two show markedly different rates based on race and ethnicity with the lowest persistence rates associated with Latinx and Black students. National projections of college attendance by race and ethnicity predict that Latinx students will …

The Influence And Predictability Of Socioeconomic Factors On The 2018 Parcc Middle School Ela Scores In New Jersey, Charlene Jones

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This quantitative study is nonexperimental, utilizing socioeconomic, community, and district data to determine what influence and level of accuracy of prediction is made on standardized testing in New Jersey. This study focuses on middle school students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 in New Jersey's traditional public schools. The study design is a quantitative correlational predictive study design. SES factors for each district were identified using both U.S. Census data and NJDOE district data. Independent variables include percentage of poverty, percentage of single-parent families, education level of parents, percentage of free and reduced price lunch. The dependent variables include: 2018 …

Secondary School Principals' Orientations Toward And Uses Of Data For Improvement, Lisa Cala Ruud

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This descriptive and multiple case study was designed to explore and understand secondary principals’ role orientations and decision-making regarding data, evidence, and research in three urban-suburban called “positive outlier schools” (POS). POS are New York State schools that are identified as exemplars in closing educational opportunity and outcome gaps among diverse high school youth, including African American, Hispanic/Latino, and English language learner students (ELLs).

Social Capital And The Higher Education Academic Achievement Of American Students: A Cross-Classified Multilevel Model Approach To Understanding The Impact Of Society On Educational Outcomes, Olubowale Emiola Oyefuga

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, especially after the publication in 2000 of Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Society, there has been a heightened interest in the concept of social capital. Many scholars have made the connection between social capital and education by examining its effects on educational outcomes. However, a lot still needs to be understood. The aim of this dissertation is to provide a better understanding of the influence of social capital on the higher education academic achievement of American students. Using data from Waves I, II, and IV of the National Longitudinal Study …

Comparison Of National Assessment Of Educational Progress (Naep) Reports And State Physical Education Mandates, Erick Alfonso

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There have been several studies that analyzed the relationship between physical education and academic achievement at a local level, but a longitudinal analysis across the United States has not been done. An understanding of the relationship between physical education policies across the United States and academic achievement at the state level may provide insight into best practices to ensure that comprehensive physical education policies are adopted in all states. Using data from the Society of Health and Physical Educators and The National Assessment of Educational Progress, I investigated the relationship between physical education policies and academic achievement. Minor relationships with …

Student Connectedness And Academic Achievement: A Quantitative Study Of Career And Technical Education Students, Kern Mcginley

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The focus of this correlational study in an Alaskan career and technical (CTE) school environment was to explore the research question that guided this study: In a large urban school district of Alaska, with a diverse student population, what is the relationship between the CTE student connectedness level and academic achievement levels? Participants included 132 high school students, Grades 10 through 12. Additional research questions were developed to examine the strength of the relationship between student connectedness and academic achievement by gender and ethnicity. Data were collected using an online survey with a combination of demographic questions and Goodenow’s (1993b) …

Just "Level The Playing Field" And Watch Me Excel!, Baruti K. Kafele, Baruti K. Kafele

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This engaging, interactive, self-reflective session focuses on equity at the classroom level. It challenges teachers to look within themselves relative to how they relate to and engage with their at-risk students of color and other underserved students. It challenges teachers to confront whatever biases they may bring to these students that may be either blatant, subtle, undetected or unacknowledged. It argues that high-performance is an impossibility in classroom environments where equity fails to exist.

Boredom Proneness And Character Strengths Related To Academic Achievement In Adolescence, Bonnie Iannaccone

Ed.D. Dissertations

Abstract

Susceptibility to boredom can interfere with students’ ability to achieve their academic potential, with enduring negative consequences. In the present study, the researcher investigated differences in boredom proneness and character strengths in adolescent high school students and the ability of boredom proneness scores and character strengths to predict academic achievement. Results indicated that 9 of 10 students were moderately or highly prone to boredom. Students’ whose top character strength was humility were more highly prone to boredom than students’ whose top-ranked character strengths were bravery, prudence, or curiosity. From boredom proneness and character strengths data the researcher concluded that …