Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Credit Recovery And Grade Point Average In An Alternative High School System, Antoinette Marie Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The dropout rates of African American and Hispanic students in the United States are significantly higher than that of White students. Failure to obtain a high school diploma has adverse economic and social implications for these students and for society. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between a credit recovery program with key demographic variables and high school GPA, which is a graduation antecedent, for students in an alternative school. Knowles' framework of adult learning theory was used to examine how participation in the credit recovery process in a system of predominantly African American-serving alternative …

Impact Of Individualized Learning Plans On Educational Completion Among Incarcerated Youth, Laura Lee D'Anna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interruptions to juvenile detainees' education often delay their progress toward high school completion. Implementing an individualized learning plan (ILP) has been suggested as a solution to this problem. The purpose of this case study was to explore how ILPs facilitate attainment of graduation among incarcerated youth. The study was guided by the Washington State legislative framework for individualized learning plans and the efforts of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency to increase educational opportunities. Three research questions were formulated to explore perceptions of local juvenile detention center educators and administrators regarding their experiences in the development, implementation, and effectiveness …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities' Impact On Math Critical Thinking Pedagogy, Elizabeth Ann Daly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. educational leaders struggle with declining mathematics achievement among students as compared to other countries. The problem for this study was low standardized mathematics scores in one district in a major city in the Southwestern United States. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed method project study was to analyze the effectiveness of professional learning communities (PLCs) on the mathematics critical thinking pedagogy among teachers in 2 elementary schools. The conceptual framework focused on work by Olivier, Hipp, Huffman, and Hord on the efficacy of PLCs for improving teacher pedagogy. Research questions addressed in this study were designed to explore …

Educational Module On Health Literacy For Hypertension In The Inmate Population, Pamela Mokoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension is a major public health issue in the United States that affects approximately 70 million adults; the high blood pressure of nearly half is considered to be uncontrolled. Uncontrolled hypertension is especially true in the incarcerated population. Due to low health literacy on hypertension in the inmate population, there are recurrent hospital visits, an increase in the admission rate and an increased length of stay in hospitals, all of which may lead to an increase in the cost of healthcare. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an expertly reviewed, evidence-based, self-paced, computerized, educational module to promote …

Understanding The Differences Between Novice And Experienced Reading Teachers, Katie Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education researchers have documented that first-year teachers are often less effective at reading instruction than their more experienced peers. Accordingly, this qualitative, comparative case study was designed to assess the instructional skills and strategies utilized by first-year and experienced teachers using Danielson's Framework for Teaching as the conceptual framework. The research questions were used to examine two groups of teachers using the framework and the Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project's defined levels of performance for effective reading instruction. The goal was to identify the instructional differences between the two groups of teachers. Purposeful sampling was used to select 3 …

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment In Higher Education In Barbados, Debbie Samantha Bovell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross's chain of response theory, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Knowles' theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed …

Factors Deterring Male Enrollment In Higher Education In Barbados, Debbie Samantha Bovell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross's chain of response theory, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Knowles' theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed …

Instructional Behavior And Its Impact On Student Engagement, Debra Joan Crumpton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to expand understanding of leadership behaviors and their influence on follower engagement. Researchers have shown that engagement is a predictor of retention and organizational performance. Leadership theory and the conceptual framework of worker engagement were the study's theoretical anchors. Despite a proliferation of leadership studies, engagement antecedents are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to narrow the gap in the literature by examining the extent to which there may be a relationship between college instructors' behaviors and student engagement. Although not traditionally regarded as frontline leaders, extant leadership literature affirmed college …

Parental Involvement In Individual Education Plan Development For Students With Significant Intellectual Disabilities, Tanya A. Dodge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates a connection between successful outcomes for students with significant intellectual disabilities and the individual education program (IEP) team's efforts in the IEP development process. However, little research has been conducted on the perceptions of parents and teachers of students with significant disabilities about parent participation in the IEP development process. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore parent and teacher perceptions of parent participation in the IEP development process. The conceptual framework of this study was ecological design theory, based on Bronfenbrenner's theory of human development and Neal and Neal's theory of networked systems. Participants …

Public Policies Involving Pregnant And Parenting Secondary Students From Perspectives Of Educators, Tomecole Hilliard-Carlton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite a significant drop in the number of pregnant adolescents and reforms to fight

gender discrimination under Title IX, teen pregnancy and risk factors including poverty,

stigma, and substance abuse, which may lead to different negative outcomes, such as

depression, social isolation, and lowered self-esteem remain a persistent problem in the

United States. Due to these factors, pregnant and parenting teens have been noted to drop

out of high school prematurely. Using incrementalism as a theoretical framework, the

purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore and describe Title IX

compliance and local policies and practices of educators …

Online And Hybrid Graduate Student And Advisor Preferences, Melody Mayo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was the advising style preference of graduate-level students and advisors in online and hybrid programs at a university in rural Arkansas. Students and advisors will benefit from the results because the advisors will have a greater understanding of expectations during an advising session. The problem stems from the fact that graduate level advising is not considered important by administrators at the study institution. The purpose of this study was to determine how graduate level advisors can better serve students and to use the results as a tool for advisor training. The study was guided by …

Measuring Self-Perceived Clinical Preparedness With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Clients, Kimerly D. Patterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors and counselor educators must serve clients regardless of culture, race, disability, sexual orientation, and age. Counselor educators have attempted to stay abreast of new methods to enhance counselor competencies to adequately counsel lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the extent of the relationship between self-perceived clinical preparedness of working with LGBT clients and self-perceived attitudinal awareness towards LGBT clients as moderated by levels of religious commitment of licensed professional counselor (LPC) using a feminist and multicultural theory framework. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) quantitative analysis software program …

Perspectives Among Successful Adult Learners In Two Diploma Completion Programs, Cheryl Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 24,000 U.S. high school students drop out each year, contributing to the approximate 1.1 million U.S. adults who have not earned the high school diploma or General Education Development. This failure in educational attainment contributes significantly to the lack of economic and workforce development opportunities as well as the standard of living for more than 10% of the statewide population of a midwestern state. In response to this problem, the state entered into model programming in 2015 with 2 new approaches for adult education to diploma programs. The purpose of this basic qualitative interpretive research study was to …

Elementary Teachers' Self Efficacy For Improving Student Achievement, Regina Ann Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem that prompted this study was declining student achievement scores in the 4th and 5th grades at a Title 1 elementary school in the southeastern U.S. As a result, school administrators initiated an environmental change from a self-contained classroom structure to departmentalization and team teaching for 4th and 5th grades. The purpose of the study was to investigate perspectives of teachers and administrators regarding their needs to address their own self-efficacy for improving student learning, and their perspectives of the team teaching and departmentalization processes in enhancing student achievement. The conceptual framework for this study was Bandura's theory …

Relationship Between Policy Expectations And Education Outcomes In A Midwestern School District, Latonya Latamore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A financially secure public school district can provide children with an educational foundation that will eventually transition them into self-sufficient employed adults. These adults will become tax-paying citizens who will contribute to their local economies. The problem with one midwestern public school district is that a history of financial insecurity has affected the district's ability to provide students with all of the programs to which they are entitled. Using Baumgartner and Jones' conceptualization of punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between aspects of the Local Financial Stability and Choice …

Incorporating Stakeholder Input Into Financial Decision Making In California School Districts, Leann R. Nowlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of June 2013, all California public school districts are required to incorporate stakeholder input into their operational goals and expenditures to increase stakeholder trust. Trust is a belief by one party in a transaction that the other party in the transaction will act in a way that is fair and in the interest of both parties. The problem is that no guidance or direction relative to the methods or extent to which stakeholder input should be gathered and incorporated was provided within the new regulations. Lawmakers and stakeholders had no insight into the effectiveness or level of school district …

Language Of Instruction And Puerto Rican First Graders' Ethnic Categorizations, Margarita Marichal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of subtractive bilingual models in Puerto Rico may influence children's construction of social categorizations. There is a gap in the literature related to linguistics, ethnicity, and systems of education and acculturation of a majority group. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the influence of the language of instruction and teachers' communicative practices in private and public schools on first graders' ethnic identity construction in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The conceptual framework of the study was based on Markus's unified theory of race and ethnicity, Berry's bidimensional model of acculturation, Tajfel and …

Social And Emotional Learning Needs Of Gifted Students, Derek.Phelan Allen Phelan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compared to their peers, gifted and talented (GT) students have unique social and emotional needs. As schools mandated social and emotional learning goals for each GT student, support at the state level was limited. The purpose of the study was to answer the guiding question of how students could benefit from implementing key elements in a GT social and emotional curriculum. The study was guided by Corso's approach to promoting and developing positive social-emotional behavior. Data were collected from questionnaires administered to 32 statewide GT experts. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 of those GT experts. Thematic data analysis followed …

Critical Thinking And Clinical Judgment In Novice Registered Nurses, Sheila Tyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health care field has become increasingly more complex, requiring new nurses to be prepared upon graduation to respond to a variety of complex situations. Unfortunately, many graduates from associate degree nursing (ADN) programs are not able to think critically upon entering the work force. This presents a major problem for the nurse and for the employer. The purpose of the study, therefore, was to gain a deeper understanding of the graduates' perceptions of their ability to critically think during their first year of clinical practice, and if they believed their program prepared them to be critical thinkers. The key …

An Assessment Of The Financial Literacy Of Undergraduates At One Community College In Texas, Melissa J. Weathersby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a Texas community college, stakeholders wanted to strengthen the financial literacy module offered in the student development course for undergraduates. The problem was that no formative data existed on students' financial literacy, and it was not known if knowledge of financial literacy for students who participated in a prior financial literacy class in high school differed from students who had not. The purpose of this study was to obtain formative data regarding students' needs for financial literacy education and to examine whether the knowledge of financial literacy for college students who participated in a prior financial literacy class in …