Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

Latinos In Massachusetts Public Schools: Springfield, Michael Berardino

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes of Latino students in the city of Springfield. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that have been analyzed by the Gastón Institute for a community meeting in Springfield. 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 in the Springfield Public Schools, with …

Principal-Teacher’S Decision-Making Power Relationship: A National Study Based On Sass 2003-04 Data, Jiangang Xia

Dissertations

There is a theoretical controversy in the literature of educational leadership over whether principal-teacher’s power relationship is a zero-sum game or a win-win situation. The zero-sum game theory implies that when teachers gain more power, principals have less, and when teachers have less power, principals gain more. In contrast, the win-win theory suggests that to share power with teachers potentially increases principal’s power as well.

There are two issues involved with this controversy: first, researchers debate whether principal-teacher’s power relationship is a win-win situation or zero-sum game, however, the power concept and power relationship were not clearly conceptualized; and, second, …

Teaching The Moral Imagination: How Global Education Aids In Peacebuilding, Charlee Bianchini

Capstone Collection

In this paper I present distinctive information from written resources and in-depth interviews with 17 constituents who are in some way involved in the incorporation of Global Education curriculum in the US. I specifically looked at Brookwood School in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, a private school looking to develop programming around this subject. I also looked at World Learning Youth Programs in order to gain insight from an institution solely focused on GE. The aim of the research was to learn why and how Global Education programs are being incorporated into curriculums, what skills schools are aiming to have their students learn …

God Has Created Me For Some Definitive Service, Jacqueline P. Kelleher

Education Faculty Publications

A hallmark of being Catholic is a concern for and dedication to those in need and our service to others. Jacqueline Kelleher, faculty member in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education at Sacred Heart University, discusses how her studies of the Catholic intellectual tradition moved her to become a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Connecticut's largest, poorest, lowest achieving school district.

Latino Emergent Bilingual Students' Experiences With The Middle School Transition, Kerry Pecho

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined how Latino emergent bilingual students anticipate and experience the transition from a bilingual elementary school program to middle school. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who were native Spanish-speakers participated in focus group discussions. Overall, participants described positive transition experiences, and much of the content was not unique to these students (e.g., feeling nervous, looking forward to more activities). Other content, though, revealed transition experiences that may be unique to this population (e.g., dramatic shift in ethnic and linguistic backgrounds of peers). Participants' responses suggested that they experience a …

Anti-Bullying Bill Of Rights Act (Abbra) In New Jersey: A Case Study Of The Implementation Of Regulatory Policy, Kara Douma

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate year two of the implementation of the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABBRA). The environment of accountability has become increasingly prominent through the ongoing development of regulatory policy in the field of education (Anderson, 2011; Fowler, 2009; Limber & Small, 2003; Peterson & West, 2003; Rudalevige, 2003; United States Department of Education, 2011; White House, 2011). This investigation focused on the gap between crafted policy and implementation of policy due to prior anti-bullying legislation throughout the country having been unsuccessful in the implementation phase (Glover, Cartwright, Gough, & Johnson, …

An Exploration Of The Lived Social, Emotional, And Academic Experiences Of Obese Adolescents Within Three Conceptual Frameworks Using Mixed Methods Research, Julie Benavides

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the experiences of obese adolescents and to investigate middle and high school students' attitudes toward obese students. During phase one, quantitative data was collected through the Attitude Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) survey. The survey research sample was 1448 middle and high school students. The quantitative data was analyzed through cross gender and grade level comparisons. Results indicated both female and male students in middle school and high school have a slightly positive attitude toward obese students. During phase two, qualitative data was collected through focus groups with 5 middle …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Food Allergy Research & Education, & Council Of Parent Attorneys And Advocates In Support Of Plaintiff-Appellants And Urging Reversal, T.F., A Minor By His Parents And D.F. And T.S.F., On Their Own Behalf V. Fox Chapel Area School District, Marc Charmatz, Caroline Jackson

Court Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Guide To Federal Education Programs That Can Fund K-12 Universal Prevention And Social And Emotional Learning Activities, Diane Stark Rentner, Olga Acosta Price

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of Curriculum-Based Organizational Change In An Elementary Teacher Preparation Program, Grace Elizabeth Cook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and Mathematics into the kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum in the United States presents a unique opportunity for teacher preparation programs to realign their curriculum with the curriculum of the primary and secondary schools. However, it is unknown how teacher preparation programs are approaching this possible change. This qualitative descriptive case study examined the organizational change process that was employed by one teacher preparation program to incorporate the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) into their curriculum. The change was examined through the organizational development lenses of Kotter …

Tracking In Middle School Mathematics, Alexis Geisler

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper is a review of research pertaining to the issue of tracking in middle and high school mathematics. More focus is given to middle school because this is usually where tracking begins in mathematics. It supports research on the rationale behind detracking our schools and moving towards heterogeneous classrooms. Research behind the psychological effects of tracking is also provided, along with how tracking can segregate our school systems. There is a variety of research on the effect of tracking in mathematics. One of the most prevalent issues is how tracking is detrimental to the low tracked students. It not …

Understanding Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying And Effectiveness Of An Anti-Bullying Policy: A Case Study Of Suburban High School Teachers In The Southwestern U.S., James Isom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-case study was to understand teacher perceptions of bullying and the effectiveness of the current anti-bullying policy of a suburban district in the southwestern U.S. Teacher perceptions will be generally defined as what teachers personally believe about bullying and how they perceive the effectiveness of the district's anti-bullying policy. Data was collected from three sources, interviews, teacher journals, and observations. Cross case synthesis was used to treat each case separately and then combine identified themes across cases. Data showed that teachers perceive the policy to be somewhat effective. However, significant gaps exist that need to be …

Exploring The Multiple Dimensions Of Intelligence Identity In High-Achieving Students, Amy A. Holland

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

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the important elements reported by second-year undergraduates at Midwestern University (MU) as they renegotiated their intelligence identity of being the smart one. The five participants were members of the 2012-2013 first-year cohort of Jumpstart Business Community (JBC). Per inclusion in JBC, the students identified as high-achieving students and/or were classified as accelerated learners in high school. The reconceptualized model of multiple dimensions of identity from Abes, Jones, and McEwen (2007) informed this study in the examination of renegotiation of the intelligence identity.

The main research question of this study was what …

Relationship Between Teacher Perception Of Positive Behavior Interventions Support And The Implementation Process, Janice Marie Hansen

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between teacher perception of a school’s behavior management program and the implementation process. This study explored perceptions of teachers from three aspects of the Positive Behavior Intervention Support model as they relate to the implementation processes for PBIS. This design is intended to provide strategies for behavior modification to improve and transform inappropriate behaviors through reinforcement of positive behaviors in lieu of punitive strategies to correct disruptive behaviors. The framework for a positive behavior reinforcement system is data driven, identifying specific behaviors that impede learning and formulating an …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Response To Intervention And Teacher Support Team Effectiveness Within A Mississippi Gulf Coast School District, Shanta Dannette Rhodes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI) and Teacher Support Team (TST) within a Mississippi Gulf Coast school district. RTI models have gained popularity within the national education system. Schools are encouraged to implement RTI in efforts to improve the learning and achievement of all students, while meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEIA). With the change of educational policy, the role and function of teachers have changed. Understanding perceptions teachers might …

Relationship Between The Tcap And The Pearson Benchmark Assessment In Elementary Students’ Reading And Math Performance In A Northeastern Tennessee School District, Cherith A. Dugger-Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a relationship between the TCAP test and Pearson Benchmark assessment in elementary students’ reading and language arts and math performance in a northeastern Tennessee school district. This study involved 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. The study focused on the following subgroups: gender, Title I school status, and socioeconomic status as determined by free and reduced-price meal benefits. Test scores of students taking the Pearson Benchmark assessment in the fall, winter, and spring of the 2011-2012 academic school year and the TCAP in the spring of the …

The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And Improving Achievement Status In Secondary Schools: A Multiple-Site Case Study, Anne Catherine Butcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For all that is revealed in the research literature identifying and describing traits and behaviors exhibited by principals who make a positive difference in student learning, many schools are still failing. With all we know, how does this continue to happen? The goal of this study was to develop theory to expand and enrich the existing research by defining and describing what three successful principals - a middle school and two junior high schools - did to turn their failing schools around and positively influence the levels of student achievement in their respective schools. The significant contribution this study adds …

District Size And Implementation Of High School School Improvement Grants, Marla Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employs organizational theory, the history of school reform, the role school district leadership, and the impact of district size to provide a foundation for study of high school reform implemented in twenty high schools with histories of academic challenges. The Federal Department of Education School Improvement Grant Program was created to financially support reform in persistently failing schools. The schools in this study are all located in the same Midwestern state; however, they have wide-ranging student enrollments and are located in suburban, urban, rural, and metropolitan school districts of differing sizes. The mixed method study includes two phases. …

Measuring The Efficacy And Quality Of A Professional Development Training On Prejudice Reduction And Reflective Practice: Transforming The Delivery Of Change Through Collective Insight And Informed Action, Berdine Gordon-Littrean

Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of school improvement planning is an enhanced level of student achievement through an enhanced leadership framework and successfully implemented program. The improvement plan process requires focus on specific priorities to effect real change. The purpose of this action research study was to provide professional training as part of a continuum change initiative. The study analyzed the salient factors or areas of critical concern, impacting prejudice and controversial issues settings. These variables included levels of leadership, and significance of the following: diversity of identity and experiences, stereotyping, internalized oppression, building pride and capacity, becoming allies, making commitments to …

Traditional Assessment Vs Non-Traditional Assessment: What Native American Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Looks Like In A Suburban Classroom., Jamie Keyser

Honors Theses

Native American culturally relevant pedagogy is a form of non-traditional assessment, which focuses on ways to measure what students learn, understand or do not understand, without using the standard traditional assessment of a test or quiz. In schools today, there is a lack of culturally relevant teaching because schools are deep into a curriculum that is Eurocentric and focused on the dominant culture, European Americans. To see if Native American culturally relevant pedagogy assessment strategies were beneficial to students of all races in a suburban classroom, action research was done in an internship classroom in a suburban school district. Two …