Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

A Thematic Plan To Promote College And Career Aspirations For Low Socioeconomic Status Students, Althea Kelsey-Chism

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested higher education is the most prominent way to ensure mobility from one socioeconomic status to another (Siff, 2006). Just as important is the development of the educational aspirations of low socioeconomic status (SES) students; this is called the predisposition stage (Brown v. the Board of Education, 1954; Perna & Swail, 2001; Walpole, 2003; Wilt, 2006). While much has been written on the subject of higher education of low SES student, Hossler and Gallagher (1987) discuss a three-phase college choice model that precludes the higher education of low SES students. The predisposition stage, as the first stage is …

Independent Evaluation Of Asic’S Implementation Of The Helping Our Kids Understand Finances Initiative, Robert Simons

Program monitoring and evaluation

In May 2013, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct an independent evaluation of its implementation of the Helping Our Kids Understand Finances (HOKUF) initiative. The purpose was to conduct an independent evidence-based assessment of whether ASIC implemented the HOKUF initiative in a way that met the following key criteria: 1) Appropriate – the extent to which the program developed by ASIC was useful and ‘fit for purpose’ in supporting the delivery of the consumer and financial literacy content aligned to the Australian Curriculum. 2) Effective − the extent to …

The Effect That Confidence Has On The Behavior Of The Principal And Superintendent As The School's Educational Leader, Thomas Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative bounded, multi-site case study was to explore the effect that confidence has on the behavior of the principal and superintendent as the school's educational leader. The participants of this study were principals and superintendents of eight K-12 institutions in Northern Colorado. While the data addressing this multi-level epistemological observation are revealed through the narrative process, the framework for observing and codifying the research was derived from a qualitative multi-site case methodology where participants engaged in interviews and surveys, and whereby the researcher synthesized three research fields into one. Data were collected from the participant leaders …

A Case Study Of The Characteristics Of A Lead Administrator Of A Full-Time Faith-Based Virtual School, Todd English

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study is to investigate the leadership characteristics of the lead administrator at East Online Academy (EOA). At this stage in the research, characteristics will be generally defined as the daily actions that affect the success or failure of leading the organization. The term "lead administrator" will refer to any individual who is the overall leader of the organization. The lead administrator for this study will be the director of the online school. The rationale for the study is a void in the literature addressing the characteristics of an administrator in the daily operation of …

Leadership Qualities Necessary For Educational Leaders To Become Effective Turnaround Principals: A Grounded Theory Study, Sherri Irish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was two-fold: to understand how educational leaders help failing schools and to generate a theoretical model to explain the leadership qualities necessary to elicit a successful turnaround. Four research questions related to turnaround principals' experiences and leadership qualities guided this study. Participants included four middle and high school principals within the state of Michigan. Participants were selected based on their involvement in successfully turning around a failing school. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and observations. Data was analyzed using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding …

The Influence Of The Length Of The School Day On Grade 11 Nj Hspa Scores, Phyllis Deangelis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the strength and the direction of the relationship between the length of the school day and Grade 11, 2011 New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) scores found on the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE, 2012a) website. Student achievement scores on the Grade 11, 2011 HSPA in Language Arts and Mathematics were analyzed separately. Analyses were conducted using simultaneous regression and hierarchical multiple models. All student data explored in this study pertained to 98,218 first-time, Grade 11 students (NJDOE, 2011c) enrolled in 326 public high schools in districts designated by District Factor Groups A-J (NJDOE, 2012a) …

Negligence, Student Supervision, And School Business Officials, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

With a new school year on the horizon, the topic of adequate student supervision is once again on educators’ minds. Whether students are attending classes, playing in school yards, or participating in extracurricular sports or other activities, educators are at risk of liability for injuries that children sustain if officials fail to meet their duty to protect youngsters from unreasonable risks of harm.

Accordingly, awareness of the principles relating to the legal duty to supervise students adequately and the defenses to negligence can go a long way toward shielding school districts from liability. As evidenced by the representative cases cited …

The Impact Of User Centered Design On Student Motivation, Craig T. Locker

Open Access Theses

There is a current push for STEM education within the U.S.; however current studies show that students' interest to pursue STEM fields is decreasing as they progress through high school. This lose in interest has shown to have a strong tie to students' perceived levels of motivation towards the subject. The question that this studied set out to answer was if user centered design (UCD) would affect students perceived level of motivation. For this study a treatment of UCD was compared to a traditional high school engineering design curriculum, with the goal to identify if UCD would have a positive …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Gender Discrimination Against School Psychologists, Samantha Hug

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory investigation was to A) investigate the general attitudes towards genders typically in a school based setting, B) examine if the report quality ratings will be significantly higher when the report is written by a male than by a female, and C) explore if there will be significant differences in report quality ratings based on the gender of the author/school psychologist. An analysis of the current literature on this topic displays implication that gender does play a role in acceptance toward certain viewpoints in certain settings. In order to effectively investigate these attitudes, data was collected …

South African Principalship, Agency & Intersectionality Theory, Michèle Schmidt, Raj Mestry

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Gender bias towards South African female principals remains a problem and compelling issue for research. The Constitution policy addresses gender equality, yet women still do not experience equal rights in practice. This study uses a theory of intersectionality to examine two Black South African women’s leadership experiences in their roles as principals in two South African schools. The goal of the paper is to examine how these women negotiate obstacles in their work that may constrain their agency as leaders in South African schools. The project involves semi-structured interviews and the results provide a significant contribution to the small body …

Indigenous Urban School Leadership: A Critical Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis Of Educational Leaders In New Zealand And The United States, Lorri J. Santamaría, Andrés P. Santamaría, Melinda Webber, Hoana Pearson

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This qualitative inquiry compares the practice of one Māori primary school leader of urban education for indigenous multicultural multilingual learners in New Zealand (NZ), to research on the practices of nine educational leaders of colour in the United States (US). This study identifies and compares leadership practices for leaders struggling with ways to positively impact learner outcomes in similar settings (e.g., UK, Canada). From a critical comparative perspective, this school principal shares her leadership practice and lessons learned to inform leadership practice in similarly multifaceted urban settings. This research is undertaken by a collaborative cross-cultural team of educational leaders and …

Learning From School Leadership In Chile, Joseph Flessa

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Student Performance On Large-Scale Assessments: A View Of Long-Term Health, Career, And Societal Outcomes, Roman Usatin

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the predictive power of student growth for large-scale assessments on meaningful life outcomes, focusing on the three categories of health, career, and societal involvement. Analysis was conducted using the NELS:88/00 dataset–a longitudinal study that followed a nationally-representative sample of over 12,000 eighth grade students from 1988 to 2000, until the students were 26 years old and entered into the work force. The large-scale assessment variables included math and reading performance in the 1988 cognitive batteries administered by NELS. To gauge growth levels, I generated Student Growth Percentiles (SGP) from tests administered by NELS from 1988 to 1992. …

An Historical Perspective To Examine How Federal Policy Influenced The Definition And Evaluation Of Teacher Effectiveness Since 1950, Janine M. Mathesz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Increased public demand to hold teachers accountable for student learning and to remove ineffective teachers has challenged state department of education officials to develop teacher evaluation systems that include student assessment data. Many educational researchers theorize teacher effectiveness is the variable under the control of the school with the most influence on student success.

This study examines the influence of federal government education policies on state teacher evaluation systems and how this influence has shaped the definition and evaluation of an effective teacher over the past 62 years. Teacher evaluations, when used as a proper tool, assist administrators in providing …

Formative Assessment Through Written Feedback: Examining Elementary School Teachers' Written Feedback Beliefs And Practices, And The Effect Of Models On Written Feedback, Caterina Almendral

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current study explored three main aspects relating to the use of written feedback as a formative assessment tool: the types (form or content) of written feedback provided by elementary school teachers and the levels (task, process-Self-Regulation) at which those types of feedback are provided; whether elementary school teacher beliefs about written feedback principles and their own written feedback practice correspond to the actual written feedback they provide; and whether exposure to a model of written feedback influences teacher written feedback practice.

Data were collected from 188 elementary school teachers spirally assigned to five groups (four treatment, one control). Treatment …

Religious Freedom In A Brave New World: How Leaders In Faith-Based Schools Can Follow Their Beliefs In Hiring, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

A confluence of litigation at the Supreme Court raises important, yet potentially conflicting, questions about the freedom of employers in religious schools¹ to hire teachers and staff members. On the one hand, in Hosanna-Tabor v. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission,² a unanimous Court reasoned that the ministerial exception granted religious leaders alone the authority to choose who is qualified to teach in their schools. On the other hand, the Court’s rulings on same sex-unions seem to be ushering in a brave new world. For example, in United States v. Windsor,³ the Court struck down the Defense …

Teachers Of English In Pakistan : Profile And Recommendations, Ayesha Bashiruddin, Rabail Qayyum

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper answers a pertinent question: Who are the teachers of English in Pakistan? By answering this question, the current profile of teachers of English is highlighted. We were inclined to do this study because there was no data available in Pakistan. Data for this paper was generated through a survey questionnaire, which was filled out by 100 teachers of English over three years. Out of these 100 teachers, 53 teachers were from public sector schools, 29 teachers from communitybased English‐medium schools, and 18 teachers from private Englishmedium schools. These teachers belonged to various regions of Pakistan, which included Sindh, …

Starting A Charter School In Benton Harbor, Michigan, Donald W. Pearson

Masters Theses

This project investigates the process of starting a public school academy (i.e., charter school) in Benton Harbor, Michigan and completing the authorizing application. The dynamics of the project is documented in four phases. The first is the inquiry phase which is identifying, clarifying and documenting the problem. Phase two is designing a comprehension strategy in response to the problem. The third phase is implementing, creating and submitting a viable application for authorization to an educational institution and which is to be submitted to the Michigan State Department of Education for a charter school grant. The last phase of the project …

Navigating With Trust: A Proposal For Transforming Public Sector Schools Towards Learning Organizations In Pakistan, Zubeda Bana

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

While working with teachers, teacher educators, educational leaders and principals of schools and teacher education colleges throughout the country, I am informed that the most significant factor for transforming public sector schools is winning the trust of teachers. Teachers, no matter how they are recruited and what their current competencies are, have become part of the work-force in public sector schools. It is observed that the school administrators have exhausted their trust and treat all kinds of teachers including good and committed teachers, with the same administrative approach which places them in odd situations, wherein they start losing their own …

Latinos In Massachusetts Public Schools: Pittsfield, Michael Berardino, Valerie Watson

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes of Latino students in the city of Pittsfield. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that has been analyzed by the Gastón Institute for the 2014 Latinos in Massachusetts Regional Meeting in Pittsfield. This report uses the ethno-racial categories assigned by MADESE. It focuses on the evolving demographic trends and the most recent educational outcomes of Latino students relative to other ethno-racial groups in the school district and to students statewide. The first section illustrates the demographic shift occurring within the …