Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

Great Conversation For School Improvement In Disadvantageous Rural Contexts: A Participatory Case Study, Zubeda Bana

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The core empirical basis of this paper is based upon my recent participatory action research case study, sponsored by my university, conducted in a rural school in one of the most disadvantageous districts of Sindh, Pakistan. The paper argues that the current climate in most of the schools across the country reflects ‘apathy’ and ‘ignorance’. Although substantial initiatives have been taken by the educationsector reforms, all efforts tend to be diluted in improving quality and access to education, particularly in rural areas. One of the obvious reasons for not achieving maximum impact through these reforms is that, mostly, they are …

Building Leadership: The Knowledge Of Principals In Creating Collaborative Communities Of Professional Learning, Chad M. Dumas

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research literature is replete with the importance of collaboration in schools, the lack of its implementation, the centrality of the role of the principal, and the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice--or a "Knowing-Doing Gap." In other words, there is a set of knowledge that principals must know in order to create a collaborative workplace environment for teachers. This study sought to describe what high school principals know about creating such a culture of collaboration.

The researcher combed journal articles, studies and professional literature in order to identify what principals must know in order to create a culture …

The Impact Of School Culture, Teacher Job Satisfaction, And Student Attendance Rates On Academic Achievement Of Middle School Students, Diane Yvonne Hatchett

Dissertations

This quantitative study focused on 760 Kentucky middle school teachers in 28 school districts across the state of Kentucky. The Pearson r was used to determine the relationship among the following variables identified in the study: (a) school culture as measured by the School Culture Triage Survey combined scores, (b) job satisfaction of teachers as measured by the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) scores, (c) student achievement scores as measured by the Commonwealth Assessment Testing Score (CATS) accountability index for each school, and (d) student attendance rates. This study utilized correlation analysis to answer questions one through six and multiple …

The Relative Value Of Online Learning Environments As Perceived By High School Teachers, Daryl Joe Scoggin

Dissertations

Online learning environments have become more popular for use in education from year to year. This medium for teaching and learning has been successfully used in higher education for years. Only within the past decade has this instructional platform made its way into the P-12 arena. With the expansion of online learning environments becoming more popular, this type of lesson delivery may eventually make its way to the building or site level. As in a face-to-face classroom, teachers have an effect on the success of the students. The perceptions of teachers regarding dimensions of implementation and use of online learning …

Student's Attitudes Toward High-Stakes Testing And Its Effect On Educational Decisions, Aldo Alfredo Moran

Dissertations

With the recent increase in accountability due to No Child Left Behind, graduation rates and drop-out rates are important indicators of how well a school district is performing. High-stakes testing scores are at the forefront of a school's success and recognition as a school that is preparing and graduating students to meet society's challenging demands.

*please download the dissertation to see the full Abstract.

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Grade Retention, Latrice Shontae Richardson

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine elementary teachers’ perceptions of grade retention. Additionally, the study observed demographic data that explored the differences in elementary teachers’ perceptions by (a) geographical location, (b) years of experience, (c) grade level assignments, (d) age, (e) level of education, (f) ethnicity, and (g) influences on perceptions.

The participants included 164 elementary teachers from five rural (northern) and five suburban (southern) regions of Mississippi. Since teachers play such a huge role in the classroom, they also play a vital role in grade retention. Teacher decisions can create a successful educational experience for a …

Identifying Practices That Facilitate Effective Implementation And Sustainability Of Research-Based Professional Development Strategies, Emily Victoria Bryan Kibodeaux

Dissertations

This study was designed to determine whether significant differences existed in the level of implementation of a professional development strategy, the attitude of teachers toward this professional development strategy, and the knowledge of teachers regarding this professional development strategy. After teachers were trained on the professional development strategy, three treatments were utilized in the project: administrative observations and feedback, participation in a professional learning community (PLC), or training follow-up. Twenty-four teachers from four different schools in a school district in South Mississippi participated in the project over an 8 week time period. This quasi-experimental study collected pre- and post-treatment data …

Superintendent Perceptions Of The Accreditation Process In The State Of Mississippi, Betty Mae Merhundrew

Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides guidelines that all public schools in the United States must follow. Provisions of this law require that specific assessments be given to all students in schools across the United States and that individual states establish one system of accountability for all schools. Although much is being done, public schools are still lacking in the area of accountability reform. Many states set their own achievement goals and standards for which schools within their states are measured and then held accountable for students’ performance. This study examined the perceptions of all Mississippi school …

Kindergarten Assessments As A Predictor For A Student’S Need For Intervention, Victoria Ellen Weinketz Hoover

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the kindergarten assessment results from the three windows in reading, written communication, and mathematics were a valid predictor of a student’s need for intervention up until the conclusion of second grade. Reynolds (1992) suggested that a student’s overall school success is reflective of the approach taken early in kindergarten. With the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), districts have set in place strategies to meet the standard of all students reading on grade level at the conclusion of the third grade. If districts are to rise to the …

Differences In Student Misbehavior After Completing In-School Suspension Between Rural High School And Suburban High School Students, Martin Ervind Welch

Dissertations

This study investigated the differences that exist in rural and suburban high school student misbehavior after completing in-school suspension (ISS) in Alabama's Mobile County Public School System. The independent variables of rural or suburban, gender, and ethnicity were used to determine the differences of the various groups. The archival discipline data of students assigned to ISS during the 2008-2009 school year were analyzed. Out of the 821 students assigned to ISS, 146 (17.8%) were not referred to the office again during the school year. There was a statistically significant relationship between rural or suburban and office referral after attending ISS. …

High-Stakes Testing And Its Relationship To Stress Levels Of Secondary Teachers, Sonya Colman Christian

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between high-stakes testing and the stress levels of secondary teachers in Jackson’s Jackson Public School District. The independent variables of age, gender, subject taught, teaching experience, degree and school level were used to determine the differences of the various groups. A survey was piloted and used to determine teachers’ levels of stress. There was not a statistically significant difference between the stress levels of teachers who teach subjects that are measured by high-stakes testing and those who do not. There also was not a statistically significant difference between the stress levels of veteran teachers and …

Third Grade Reading Performance And Teacher Perceptions Of The Scott Foresman Reading Street Program In Title I Schools In South Mobile County, Jamie Ladnier Hicks

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if third grade reading performance of students enrolled in south Mobile County Title I schools improved as a result of the first year implementation of the Scott Foresman Reading Street program. Attempts were also made to identify predictors that may improve future reading performance and data were obtained regarding the perceptions and overall satisfaction of the certified instructional personnel in grades K-5 employed in the Mobile County Public School System during the 2009-2010 school year, the first school year following the initial full year of program implementation. Reading performance was measured using …

A Longitudinal Study Of Block Scheduling Versus Traditional Scheduling In Mississippi Schools: Utilizing The Mississippi Student Assessment System And Administrators’ Perceptions, Linda Oettiker Smith

Dissertations

Accountability has become increasingly important in an era of financial stress coupled with the demand for continuous improvement, demonstrated through state mandated tests. In order to address the accountability issues associated with No Child Left Behind and in all probability the future Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it is critical to have current data regarding issues related to student achievement. For over a decade, school leaders have been encouraged to examine instructional time, or the use of scheduling formats, such as block scheduling.

This study was intended to provide school and district-level administrators with additional data relevant to the effect …

Web 2.0 And Self-Reported Student Performance Among High School Students In Rural Schools, Joseph Carl Cash

Dissertations

This research intends to contribute to the current literature available on the appropriate levels of utilizing Web 2.0 resources in the classroom, therefore, amicably submitting the study's results collaboration of a dynamic theoretical construct for pedagogy in the digital age. Educators must contend with and adapt to cognitive changes within their students. School leaders face existential questions regarding the role of the teacher, the role ofthe student, and the method by which these two partners interact. School administrators aware of the substantive challenge facing traditional methods of instruction should be able to provide professional development to teachers that would accurately …

Teacher Depth Of Knowledge As A Predictor Of Student Achievement In The Middle Grades, Tracy Henshaw Jackson

Dissertations

Schools strive to hire highly qualified teachers to educate and empower students to become high performers (NCEE, 1983; Erickson, 1995). As a part of this effort, teachers are required to obtain specific skills and certification to meet students’ academic needs. While the intent is recognized, there continues to be a discrepancy between highly qualified teachers in the middle grades and student achievement (The Nations Report Card, 2005; Turner-Bissett, 1999). Therefore, it is imperative to examine teachers’ perceptions and instructional strategies that may influence students’ achievement.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between high-performing …

Personnel Administration Clinical Experience Examination: Collaborative Leadership, Madeline Landes

2010 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

As the capstone project for the Eastern Illinois University EDA personnel administration class, I was to conduct an in the field examination of a current issue in personnel practice that occurs today in public schools. In such case, this paper will summarize the findings from my clinical study in relation to collaborative leadership. Overall, this paper will include my conclusions drawn from my research and in the field study as well as recommendations for improvement of this aspect at my school. For this study, I used both primary and secondary sources to combine research-based ideas and philosophies with the hands-on …

Creating Inclusive Learning Communities For Ell Students: Transforming School Principals' Perspectives, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams, Trish Morita-Mullaney

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our considerations of broader systemic challenges that impact the success of ELLs in our schools. This article shares the dialogues that school administrators are having about ELL students and discusses the use of social justice and equity focused professional learning communities as a way to transform this discourse to address the broader …

Youth Health Coordinating Council Ward 8 Secret Health Clinic Shopper Report, The Center For Health And Health Care In Schools

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Freshman Transition Interventions On Ninth Grade Academic Achievement, Emily Spake Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of various freshman transition interventions on student academic achievement. Specifically, this study aimed to measure academic success by focusing upon ninth grade End of Course Test (EOCT) scores. The data were collected using a researcher-developed survey. After securing permission from all superintendents, the survey was electronically mailed to all high school principals within the state of Georgia. Among participating systems, the survey response rate was 78.4 percent. Based upon expert opinion, the twenty individual intervention items were categorized into three domains. The domain data were analyzed using analysis of variance …

Catholic Schools, Urban Neighborhoods, And Education Reform, Margaret F. Brinig, Nicole Stelle Garnett

Notre Dame Law Review

This Article explores the implications of a dramatic shift in the American educational landscape—the rapid disappearance of Catholic schools from urban neighborhoods. Primarily because of their strong track record of educating disadvantaged children, these school closures are a source of significant concern in education policy circles. While we are inclined to agree that Catholic school closures contribute to a broader educational crisis, this Article does not address well-rehearsed debates about educational outcomes. Rather than focusing on the work done inside the schools, we focus on what goes on outside them. Specifically, using three decades of data from the Project on …