Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

A Case Study: The Implementation Of The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards In A Secondary School Setting, Adam Angelozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides insight into the curriculum and policy implementation process of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in a secondary high school setting. The most critical factor to successful implementation of both policy and curriculum involves instructional leadership that provides ongoing support and resources through knowledge- and capacity-building activities. McLaughlin (1976) describes that implementation of educational policy constitutes a mutually adaptive process between the policy implementers and the setting; accordingly, changes in relation to the originally intended outcomes occur across the organizational hierarchy and between policy actors (Anderson, 2011; Fullan, 2007; Sabatier & Mazmanian, 1980). …

The Influence Of Community Demographics On Student Achievement On The Connecticut Mastery Test In Mathematics And English Language Arts In Grade 3 Through 8, Albert Nii Lartey Sackey Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Student achievement has been measured in the United States for decades through the use of standardized state assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine which combination of 15 out-of-school community demographic variables best predicted and accounted for the most variance in a Connecticut school district’s percentages of students scoring goal or above on the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) for the third through eighth grade in Mathematics (Math) and English Language Arts (ELA). Analyses were conducted using both a simultaneous regression model and a hierarchical regression model. This study looked at the entire population of districts that were …

The Role Of Principal Leadership In Special Education: A Delphi Study, Martha Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the New Jersey principal evaluation system coupled with the demands of leading programs for students with disabilities has resulted in the need for school principals to understand and apply leadership skills that will result in successful achievement for all students. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to explore the behaviors, characteristics, skills, and knowledge elementary school principals identify as essential for leading and supporting successful special education programs in public elementary school settings. Twenty-six elementary school principals with a record of success in leading special education programs provided expert insights through three rounds of data collection …

Building Parent Support For Implementation Of Assessment For Learning ( A4 L ) At The High School Level, Sarah Highfill

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers articulate the positive effects of parental engagement with education. Networking with parents has become a recent focus for educational leaders working to enhance learning. With parent presence diminishing within secondary schools and emphasis on formative assessments rising, this study examined the possibility of family support to supplement the Assessment for Learning (A4L) reform implementation. Using an action research framework, four research questions were addressed. These included what attracts parents to support Assessment for Learning (A4L) reforms at the high school level, the value parents place on assessment reform, and what affects parent perceptions and influences their support of the …

Student Motives For Taking Online Courses In Educational Administration, Theodore J. Kowalski, David Alan Dolph, Ila Phillip Young

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study was conducted with students enrolled in a master’s degree program in educational administration at a private research university that offered all required courses in both online and in-class formats. The purposes were to determine (a) the extent to which online courses were selected, (b) the level of importance students placed on four common motives for taking online courses, and (c) levels of association between the importance of values and two demographic variables (employment level and years of teaching experience). The extent to which students took online courses varied considerably. Convenience and flexibility were the most important motives and …

Superintendent Mobility, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

A study nearly 50 years ago categorized superintendents as being either career-bound or place-bound. The former consisted of administrators inclined to advance their career by relocating to a new school district or state. The latter group consisted of administrators who sought internal promotions over relocation.

Two findings from AASA:s latest decennial superintendents' study reveal virtually no change in mobility since 2000. This outcome is somewhat surprising in light of the increases in the number of post-retirement individuals continuing to serve in the superintendency by accepting a job covered by another state's pension system.

Role Ambiguity In An Era Of Accountability: A Collective Case Study Of The Texas School Board President Experience, Kerri Daugbjerg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe role ambiguity for three school board presidents at Rydell Independent School District in Rydell, Texas. In describing role ambiguity as the school board president perceives it, I sought to describe how role ambiguity is impacted by one's self-efficacy, state accountability standards, and transformational leadership capabilities. Research questions framing the study included: How does the school board president's self-efficacy influence role ambiguity? How does role ambiguity impact the school board president as a transformational leader in the district? How do Texas accountability standards impact role ambiguity of the school board president? …

Data Driven Decision Making: Data Interplay Within A High School District, Chris Heilig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single embedded case study was to examine how a district data team coordinated by the central office influenced the data driven culture in the district's schools that receive Title I funding. The conceptual framework is centered on conducting the process of data driven decision-making through collaborative leadership and data analysis for the purpose of educational change. The research questions guided the investigation to discover how teachers and administrators are using data to make decisions, their perception of data driven decision-making, and the impact made by central office and building leadership to initiate the change to a …

High School Teachers' Mental Model Change As Related To Online Instructional Tools, James Cernansky

Theses and Dissertations

The mental model shift of high school teachers regarding instructional methods related to online instructional tools was examined in this ethnographic study. The actual change in instructional techniques was also examined. Ethnographic research design was employed using teacher interviews, teacher survey, classroom observations, and lesson plan examination. The study took place at a comprehensive public high school in the mid-Atlantic region with approximately 1900 students and 200 staff members. The researcher found that a positive mental model change did occur after one year of a one-to-one iPad initiative. Teachers reported that they used online instructional tools to motivate their students …

Providing The Fuel (And Passing The Flame), Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this cliché. However, despite passion being my primary motivator, I am not unwilling to admit that rationale for mentoring can sometimes transcend this ethically normative line of thinking. I believe that there are also sometimes quantitative, …

Click To Agree: Policies Impacting A One-To-One Mobile Learning Environment, Matthew J. Fuller

Dissertations

The focus of this study is to evaluate current and recommend new school board policies to implement and maintain a one-to-one mobile learning initiative using iPads in a K–8 school district. The district’s current acceptable use policy is analyzed and it was determined that no modifications are necessary to govern the new one-to-one initiative. A new administrative procedure is proposed to address issues related to iPad use in and out of the district. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy is proposed for students and staff to supplement the electronic devices provided by the school district. The current acceptable use …

Perceptions Of State Education Agencies, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Relationships between state government and school districts reflect long-standing tensions involving liberty and equity. In states where the former is emphasized, the authority and scope of responsibilities relegated to state agencies are limited, so local boards and superintendents have considerable leeway to make decisions. In states that exercise centralized controls to provide reasonably equal educational opportunities, localities have less flexibility. Consequently, superintendent survey ratings should be considered in light of such dissimilarities across state education departments.

An AASA superintendency study indicated superintendents held widely differing views of their state education agencies. In general, district enrollment, with one exception, was not …

Implementation Of A Modified Reading Program In An Urban High School Setting, Ann Vayre

Dissertations

READ 180 is a popular reading program among high schools seeking to improve their reading scores. To date, few studies have examined modified versions of the program, with none focusing on the fidelity of implementation. This study examines a modified READ 180 program where scheduling only allowed for a 50-minute per day block of time, in contrast to the 90-minutes utilized in the original design. Research questions focus on urban high school teachers’ usage of READ 180 components and strategies, consistency with the program’s original design, the level of importance teachers attached to each of the components and strategies, and …

Impacts Of Daylighting On Preschool Students' Social And Cognitive Skills, Safak Yacan

Interior Design Program: Student Creative Activity

The focus of this study is the element of daylight in preschools and its social and cognitive effects on preschoolers. The current study is a correlational study that assesses infants’ social and cognitive developments, and daylight in preschool classrooms. Participants were 69 children (30 boys and 39 girls), aged from four to five, who enrolled in two different early childhood facilities in Van in Turkey. It was hypothesized that preschoolers’ social and cognitive skills would be correlated with daylight in preschool classrooms. Results revealed that there was a crucial correlation between preschool students’ social behavior and cognitive skills and daylight …

Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary Mathematics: A Focus On Whole-Number Concepts And Operations, Eva Thanheiser, Ian Whitacre, George J. Roy

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report represents part of a recent effort to summarize the state of knowledge of prospective elementary teachers' (PTs') mathematics content knowledge and the development thereof. Extensive reviews of the research literature were conducted by a recent PME-NA Working Group across various content areas. This report focuses on whole number and operations. Research in this area is scarce. What we do know from the literature is that PTs' knowledge of whole number and operations is insufficient and in need of improvement. PTs reason about whole numbers and operations in ways that are tied to the standard algorithms. At the same …

Career And Technical Education And The Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award In Education, Patricia Crum-Allen

Dissertations

This study examined Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers in the State of Michigan and their potential alignment with the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award in Education. CTE center leaders and their faculty were asked to provide their perceptions of how well their organizations meet Baldrige quality elements, using a version of the Baldrige Assessment Tool. The study further queried CTE center leaders and their faculty with regard to quality awards received and their desire to pursue an external quality award. Differences between CTE leaders and faculty responses were explored.

This study was quantitative in design using survey research to gather …

Principal Emotional Intelligence And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Middle Schools, Ashley Dawn Meadows Allred

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlational relationship of principals’ emotional intelligence on the perceptions that teachers have of a school’s climate. The Organizational Health Inventory for Middle Schools (OHI-M) served as the assessment for teachers’ perceptions of the school climate or the overall health of the organization. Principals’ emotional intelligence competencies were assessed using the Mayer Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test version 2, hereinafter referred to as the MSCEIT V.2.0. Participants of the study included 22 principals of public middle schools in Mississippi. There was an average of 45 teachers employed at each middle school.

A Pearson …

Eliciting Elementary School Students’ Informal Inferential Reasoning Through Storytelling, Dustin Owen Smith

Dissertations

One growing area of research on statistical learning is Informal Inferential Reasoning (IIR). Makar and Rubin (2009) describe IIR as having three components: making and evaluating inferential claims, supporting claims explicitly with data, and attending to the inherent uncertainty present in statistical inference-making. This dissertation study was built around developing a method for providing opportunities for elementary school students (Grades K, 2, and 4) to engage with IIR within the context of stories and storytelling through a method called Storytelling-Questioning. After interacting with and discussing two separate stories, it was found that students of each grade level were able to …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction, Teacher Absenteeism, And Intermediate School Achievement In Math And Language Arts: A Correlational Study, Daniel Winters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between teacher absenteeism and student achievement in math and language arts in the rural environment. Classical Economic Theory was used as a foundation in combination with Choice Theory and The Model of Learning to examine the role of the teacher and how the chronically absent teacher impacts the quality of learning for the student. The nature of substitute teaching was reviewed as well as how a break in continuity of instruction, caused by the chronically absent teacher, affects the overall quality of the educational environment. The amount of time teachers are absent from instructional duties …

More Than A Personality Match? High School Administrator Views On The Process, Factors Relevant, And Effectiveness Of The Selection Of Cooperating Teachers, Julie Lickfelt Pavlini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors perceived relevant to high school administrators in selecting cooperating teachers in English, math, and science. Qualitative research techniques were used; themes from the data were organized by the research questions and analyzed through the conceptual framework of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Effective Teaching. This study included semi-structured interview probes and two activity components.

All five participants were complimentary of their school's cooperating teacher selection process and identified several traits and factors as important in selecting cooperating teachers: commitment to professional development and continuous learning, enthusiasm for teaching, varied but not …