Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

School Safety Assessment: Responses From School Principal Interns, Cynthia Johnson

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

School shootings in America occur with alarming frequency and little predictability or allowance for preparation and planning. This crisis demands attention and assessment from a variety of stakeholders, especially school leaders. Future school leaders require a curriculum that includes safe school assessment and intervention. Washington state school administrator interns responded to a safe school assessment checklist of key attributes to assess their knowledge of safe school planning and intervention. The findings indicate inconsistency in preparation and planning and provide an opportunity for school leaders to address school safety that can lead to the preparation and development of an extensive network …

Substance Use Among 7th - 9th Grade Adolescents: The Role Of Risk- Related Variables In The Probability Of Use Involving Tobacco, Alcohol And Marijuana, Susana A. Villalobos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The role of schools in preventing substance use among adolescents is a priority for public health advocates across the United States. In recent years the United States has seen an increase in prescription medication overdoses in adults and adolescents. A lack of research exists of adolescents in middle school substance use (Welsh, & Rappaport, 2018). Trends of adolescent substance use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana continue to rise. Early onset use of legal and illegal substances has proven to increase the odds of long-term use of adolescence into adulthood. Parents, educators, community advocates and law enforcement have long tackled the …

Caregiver Experiences With The Dyslexia Identification Process In A Borderland Community In Texas, Angela Victoria Enriqueta Owens

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study (Moustakas, 1994; Peoples, 2020) uses critical disability theory (Devlin & Pothier, 2006) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) as a lens for investigating the experiences of caregivers in a borderland community in Texas during their childâ??s dyslexia identification process. I used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) which has roots in hermeneutic phenomenology (Heidegger, 1971) as a research method to answer the research question, how do caregivers from minoritized backgrounds in a Texas Borderland community experience the Dyslexia identification process in public schools. The three caregivers in this study were able to participate through face-to-face and virtual formats, due to the …

An Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers’ Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices In Two Cultures: A Comparative Study In China And The United States, Alicia R. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Effective teaching is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Throughout the world, there are high expectations for teacher and student performance. Teachers and students need to navigate the demographic and cultural shifts occurring around the world. Teachers’ cultural awareness and knowledge base of culturally relevant teaching practices is critical to their effectiveness. Based on the need to better understand the cultural responsiveness of teachers, this comparative study investigated elementary school teachers’ culturally relevant teaching practices in China and the U.S. through the use of video-cued ethnography. The following findings were revealed from the study: (a) differences in …

Codeva Elementary Coaches Academy : Impact Of Computer Science Implementation In K-5, Mark A. Fowler Dr., Bryan Hicks Dr, Kenneth White Dr, John Ringstaff Dr

Doctor of Education Capstones

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of CodeVA’s elementary coach’s academy (ECA) on computer science implementation in elementary schools across the state of Virginia. The research took a multimethod qualitative and quantitative approach through surveys, focus groups, interviews and observations of ECA coaches and participants, along with the analysis of historical data provided by CodeVA. The capstone research questions were: “What is the impact of the elementary coaches academy?” and “What impacts the effectiveness of CodeVA’s elementary coaches academy?” In general, the data collected suggested that CodeVA has been effective in reaching its intended audience and meeting the needs of …

Improving Classroom Management And Teacher Retention: A Needs Assessment, Jill Stefaniak, Jilian L. Reynolds, Tian Luo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This case explores how a needs assessment was conducted at a middle school experiencing high rates of teacher turnover. Pamela Frost, an experienced instructional designer, was assigned to assess the situation and identify opportunities to improve professional development opportunities for the teachers. As a part of a needs assessment, Pamela gathered data to address needs pertaining to classroom management challenges, teacher attrition rates, and establishing relations with the local community. This case explores how Pamela gathered data and triangulated her findings to determine what interventions were needed.

The Importance Of Administrative Support For Special Education Teachers, Shari E. Lujan

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of special education laws in the 1970’s, special education teachers have been given the responsibility of educating children with exceptional needs. Those needs range from children with mild to moderate disabilities to children with moderate to severe disabilities. There are 13 categories that a child can qualify for special education services through an Individual Education Program (IEP). The majority of children with exceptional needs are educated on general education campuses. With high stakes testing and the push for academic excellence, one may wonder how a child with exceptional needs fits into a general education campus. The Education …

Do You Hear Us? Amplifying Alternative Pathways For High School Pushouts Through Youth Participatory Action Research, Rob A. Duren

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) metaphor encapsulates and describes a set of legislative policies and educational practices that systematically funnel African American, Indigenous, and Latinx students from the classroom into the juvenile and criminal justice system at disparate rates. An emerging solution to address high school pushout and the STPP has been to develop Alternative Education Campuses (AECs). However, there is a current gap in the research that amplifies the counter narratives of students currently enrolled at an AEC, through their own words, using Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). Studies conducted with students who have been labeled “high-risk” are especially lacking. …

Enabling And Threatening Factors Affecting Persistence. A Qualitative And Quantitative Study On Rural First-Generation Stem Students’ And Stem Faculty's Perspectives., Travis A. Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focuses on the factors that enable and threaten rural first-generation STEM students’ persistence. Limited empirical studies are available that focus on rural first-generation STEM majors’ persistence. Quantitative analysis was conducted using Kruskal Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine any significant differences with the survey results. Content and thematic analysis was conducted on the student and faculty interviews to determine themes of enabling and threatening factors affecting persistence.

Enabling factors affecting persistence were found to be: Drive or Motivation, Experiences and skills, and Support. These were both faculty and student interview themes whereas a …

Leading Effective Inclusive Schools: How Principals Make The Difference, Megan Robinson Mcmillan

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In effective inclusive schools, school principals are the difference-makers. Principals of these schools possess a commitment to leading schools adept at delivering high academic achievement outcomes and providing an inclusive education for students with disabilities. This leadership is predicated upon their inclusive consciousness, or a dogged determination to provide ethical and meaningful educational experiences to all students, but especially those with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand how four elementary-level public school principals acquired, developed, and demonstrated an inclusive consciousness that guided their leadership of effective inclusive schools. Data were collected using a basic qualitative methodology and …

The Association Between Household Wealth And Nutritional Status Of Preschool Children In Tanzania: Evidence From The 2012/13 National Panel Survey, Samwel Lwiza

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aims to investigate the association between household wealth and nutritional status among preschool children in Tanzania. The analysis is based on a nationally representative sample of 2,120 children from the Tanzania National Panel Survey (NPS), 2012/13. Household wealth was measured by wealth index constructed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA); whereas child stunting and underweight were used to determine the nutritional status of a child. Results indicate that the prevalence of children stunting and underweight were 40% and 21%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression model shows that the proportion of stunting and underweight in the poorest 20% households were …

Educator Knowledge And Usage Of Evidence-Based Interventions For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders In Special Education Programs Across California, Thelmisha Vincent

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which evidence-based interventions being utilized with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) by general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists working in K-12 special education programs on comprehensive public and non- public school campuses in California.

Methodology: This mixed method study identified commonly used instructional strategies for students with (EBD) in public and non-public school settings. Respondents were purposefully chosen from general education teachers, special education teachers, and behavior interventionists across California. The data from online survey and interviews were analyzed through factorial ANOVA, descriptive …

Exploring Appreciative Advising As An Equity Approach For African American Students: A Grounded Theory Study Of Academic Advisors At Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis), Valerie Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EXPLORING APPRECIATIVE ADVISING AS AN EQUITY APPROACH FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF ACADEMIC ADVISORS AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS (PWIs)

By

Valerie J. Harper

October 28, 2019

Dissertation supervised by Professor Gretchen Givens Generett

African American matriculation into postsecondary education continues to rise, but degree conferral remains low (Hoston, Graves, & Fleming-Randle, 2010). Arguably, Harper and Hurtado’s (2007) research, as far back as 1992, stated black students and other students of color have dealt with alienation, isolation, and stereotyping at PWIs; this continues to persist today (Lee, 2018), which may interrupt the academic success of African …

Leadership Storytelling: How Elementary School Principals Use Storytelling To Lead And Make Transformational Change, Nicholas Damico

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe

how exemplary elementary school principals use storytelling to lead organizations

using Denning’s (2011) model. In addition, it was the purpose to understand how

exemplary elementary school principals use storytelling to create transformational

change in organizations. Denning’s The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling highlights eight storytelling narrative patterns:

• Storytelling to ignite action and implement new ideas
• Storytelling to build trust
• Storytelling to build brand
• Storytelling to transmit organizational values
• Storytelling to foster collaboration
• Storytelling to share knowledge
• Storytelling to neutralize rumor
• Storytelling to share your vision

Methodology: This …

Despite Overcrowding, School Siting Process Stalls New Buildings, Megan Conn

Capstones

More than half of New York City’s 1.1 million students attend an over-utilized school, where the number of students enrolled exceeds the official capacity. But for years, the School Construction Authority has been slow to identify and acquire sites to build new schools. When City Council ordered a task force to review nearly 30,000 potential sites, the SCA excluded parent representatives from the analysis process, then reported that only two sites could potentially be used for schools. Though the SCA contracts with commercial real estate brokers to identify sites, the agency has declined to specify how many sites the brokers …

Fostering Inclusive Culture Through Partnerships With Nonprofits, Kevin Badgett, John Decman

School Leadership Review

NELP Standards place a particular emphasis on “the leaders’ responsibility for the well-being of students and staff as well as their role in working with others to create supportive and inclusive district and school cultures” (Preparing for the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Program Review: A Companion Guide, 14). This concept, that of working with others to create inclusive district and school cultures, necessarily means that school leaders are required to look at organizations and leaders in the community to foster positive growth. Because of this, there is a fertile ground upon which to investigate the benefits of partnerships with …

Using Pbis Frameworks In Elementary Schools To Decrease Chronic Absenteeism, Joe Nelson

Dissertations

This basic qualitative study examined the beliefs and attitudes of selected faculty in three southern region schools that had been identified by several government agencies as having severe chronic attendance problems. Twelve educators who work closely with the daily Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program were individually interviewed and re-interviewed until reaching a significant point where no new knowledge could be derived. The goal of the study was to explore the essence of the teachers’ experiences when using the PBIS practices in order to increase school attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism. The purpose of the study was to fully …

Administrative Involvement With Student Discipline And Teacher Morale In Mississippi Schools, Melanie Taylor

Dissertations

Administrative involvement is vital to the success of a school; therefore, the school principal has the authority and responsibility to offer various forms of support to teachers and students that make daily tasks and procedures more efficient and effective. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of administrative involvement in student discipline on teacher morale. This quantitative study explored the relationship between administrative involvement and teacher morale by examining the administrator’s involvement with student discipline accounting for school climate.

Informed by a theoretical framework that includes path-goal theory (House, 1996) and leadership behaviors and traits that are …

Student Perception Data And Its Impact On Teachers, Erica R. Walker-Arnold

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

For as long as there have been teachers, there have been efforts to determine the most constructive way to evaluate teacher effectiveness. Research has shown that traditional administrator evaluations do little to improve struggling teachers and that most teachers nationwide are able to earn satisfactory ratings even when they are not performing in a satisfactory manner. This study aims to determine whether using student perception feedback as part of a comprehensive teacher evaluation process would lead to improved practice and targeted professional development. The following questions were investigated in this research: 1. Does student perception feedback drive teachers to reflect …

The Relationship Between Elementary School Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Male Teachers And Schools' Male Student Achievement Growth In English Language Arts, Kathleen Elizabeth Kaump Truitt

Theses and Dissertations

There is a national achievement gap between male and female students in the United States. A common recommendation to reduce this achievement gap has been to hire more male teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that elementary administrators and teachers have of male teachers’ influence on male student growth in English Language Arts. In order to measure perceptions, a five-point Likert scale survey was adapted from an existing qualitative questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted, an Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed, and the survey was found valid and reliable to measure four constructs …