Urban Education Commons^™

Urban School Districts & Mass Incarceration Of Young Black Males, Simone Hollomon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The lack of quality education provided to minorities in urban school districts has had devastating outcomes for young black boys. The school to prison pipeline is a recognized problem in this nation that has allowed our prison population to disproportionately represent African-American males. The research examines the relationship between academic experience and life outcomes in relation to correctional control of young black males in Northern California. Through quantitative measures the researcher examines the opinion of survey participants on their primary and secondary educational experience. Along with interviews to provide personal testimonies about the life outcomes in relation to their educational …

Rethinking The Achievement Gap: A Wholistic Humanistic View Of Student Academic Performance And Lack Of Performance, Immaculata Anayo Chukwunyere

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic case study that explored minority and low SES inner city high school students’ perception and sense-making of school, learning, academic behaviors, and academic achievement through an integrated theory of human development, learning, and achievement. I sought an understanding of the reason behind the persistent academic failure of inner city minority and low SES high school students, as well as the academic achievement gap within and between this subgroup of students. The aim of this study was threefold. First, I explored the factors operating in high school students’ thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions to school and …

Reflecting Together On Race, Privilege, And Teaching: Why Bank Street Needs Stronger Commitment To Teacher Education In Social Justice, Guiliana De Grazia, Molly Raik

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project explores the need for high quality teacher training in social justice education and the current program in early childhood education at Bank Street College.

Grangegorman Newsletter No. 25, Summer 2015, Dublin Institute Of Technology

Publications

Ministers visit Grangegorman Primary Care Centre site.

Blended Learning Module For Cleveland State University Campus Tour Guides, Cristina Wayton

Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology Plan II Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to research and create a blended learning program for the Cleveland State University Campus Tour Guide program. Combining in person training elements, as well as a newly developed 4 module online training program to give more flexibility and increase the interest of the students in the Tour Guide program. The training modules, which were created in Blackboard, allowed students to use their own pace as they navigated through each of the lessons that corresponded with vital information they should know in order to be successful in their jobs.

The Effects Of Transition Planning And Postsecondary Outcomes For Students With Disabilities In An Urban School Division, Janice James-Mitchell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

According to The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (2004), young adults with disabilities continue to face significant difficulties in securing jobs, accessing postsecondary education, living independently, fully participating in their communities, and accessing necessary community services. Furthermore, studies have indicated that IEPs generally do not always contain transition related information. In this dissertation study, the postsecondary outcome data from Indicator 13 and Indicator 14 and student attendance at IEP meetings for students with disabilities were examined.

There were two levels of research to this study. In level one, there was an overall picture of the data by completing …

Lost Classroom, Lost Community: Catholic Schools’ Importance In Urban America (Book Review), Ursula Aldana

Journal of Catholic Education

Review of Lost Classroom, Lost Community: Catholic Schools’ Importance in Urban America.

Clarifying The Public-Private Line: Legal And Policy Guidance For Catholic-Affiliated Charter Schools, Kari A. Carr, Janet Decker

Journal of Catholic Education

In the past fifty years, the share of students enrolled in U.S. Catholic schools has declined from approximately 12% to 3%. In reaction, many urban Catholic schools have closed and subsequently reopened as public charter schools in order to receive governmental funding and to increase enrollment. As public schools, these Catholic-affiliated charter schools now face a complex set of legal and practical challenges. This article presents empirical research on Catholic-affiliated charter schools, and the legal issues facing them as well as the wider category of religiously-affiliated charter schools. The authors conclude by answering a number of questions that Catholic school …

Catalyst Schools: The Catholic Ethos And Public Charter Schools, Rebecca A. Proehl Phd, Heather Starnes Ma, Shirley Everett Mba

Journal of Catholic Education

During the past decade, Catholic leaders have been exploring options to revitalize the faltering Catholic school system especially in urban centers. One route being explored by dioceses and religious orders is opening what have been called “religious charter schools.” Though not technically religious schools, they integrate many of the same values and pedagogical approaches as found in faith-based schools. In this article, the authors examined three Chicago public charter schools that are modeled on the successful San Miguel Schools, which are run by the Christian Brothers and are located in impoverished urban areas. After interviewing 40 participants, observing 20 classrooms, …

Saying No To College: First-Generation, Low-Income Students And The Decision To Not Attend College, Deena M. Curtis

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

The transition of first generation, low-income students from high school to college has been studied in depth but not necessarily from the viewpoint of the students who chose not to attend college or those who fail to complete the processes necessary to attend college. This study focuses on the students attending an alternative/charter school in a large, Midwest metropolitan area and the decision process they have used in making their higher education plans. This qualitative case study follows a unique methodology designed to identify the bounds of the case rather than having predetermined boundaries for the case.

The findings of …

P17 Black Male Summit, Brandon Jackson

Black Male Summit

Tale of Two African American Males and Their Journey to Ivy League Schools: A Case Study

How do we get more African American males to show their GREATNESS and academic prowess? Can Black Males attend Ivy League schools? How do we prepare our Black Male Scholars for college and career readiness to maximize their education?

Building A Culture Of Hope For At-Risk Students, Emily Louise Gibson, Robert D. Barr

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Presenters will share research on the school culture differences found between high-performing and low-performing high-poverty schools. Participants will learn about A Culture of Hope and the four Seeds of Hope. After learning explicit steps and strategies for collecting and using survey data, participants will practice using surveys to assess components of school culture, and develop additional survey questions relevant to individual circumstances.

“Don’T Hate, Peer Mediate!” – Teaching Students To Say Yes To Non-Violent Conflict Resolution, Jocelyn Lee, Wendy Williamson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Rumors. Threats. Relationships. Bullying. The Mediation Center’s Peer Mediation Program has been successfully resolving these student-to-student conflicts (and more) since 2007. Through the use of non-violent conflict resolution training, Peer Mediators are helping their schools become more peaceful. Looking for a way to encourage positive student leadership and effective conflict resolution? Look no further - Peer Mediation is your answer! Target Audience: Teachers, Counselors, School Social Workers, Administrators, School Discipline Personnel.

Ceo Impact On Superintendents, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Noting that collaboration between business executives and superintendents was wide but not deep, a Harvard Business School monograph, "Partial Credit: How America's School Superintendents See Business as a Partner," identified positive findings regarding access. Nearly two-thirds of 1,117 responding superintendents said they had access to business leaders to whom they could turn for advice and support. In urban districts, the figure was 84 percent. However, responses to a question on the AASA's decennial survey suggested otherwise.

Institutional Merit-Based Aid And Student Departure: A Longitudinal Analysis, Jacob P. K. Gross, Don Hossler, Mary B. Ziskin, Matthew S. Berry

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The use of merit criteria in awarding institutional aid has grown considerably and, some argue, is supplanting need as the central factor in awarding aid. Concurrently, the accountability movement in higher education has placed greater emphasis on retention and graduation as indicators of institutional success and quality. In this context, this study explores the relationship between institutional merit aid and student departure from a statewide system of higher education. We found that, once we account for self-selection to the extent possible, there was no significant relationship. By contrast, need-based aid was consistently related to decreased odds of departure.

Principal Dispositions Regarding The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, Theodore J. Kowalski, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) was first implemented during the 2013-14 school term. This study examined principals’ dispositions at the end of this school term. Findings revealed several major concerns. The most prominent were (a) not having sufficient time to implement the program properly, (b) basing a teacher’s performance heavily on student value-added data, and (c) being required to assist teachers in developing their annual improvement plans. Three independent variables, teaching experience, administrative experience, and level of school assignment, were found to have only a low level of association with principal dispositions. With respect to teacher evaluation generally, findings …

Place-Based Scholarship Program Design, Context, And Intergenerational Mobility: A Case Study Of The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship Program, Arielle F. Niemeyer

Theses and Dissertations

Earning a college degree correlates with achieving financial security. Thus, improving an individual’s access to college is a key tactic used to mitigate poverty and foster intergenerational mobility. Despite the recognized value of higher education, earning a degree remains unattainable for many because of financial constraints. However, research definitively demonstrates that financial aid overcomes that obstacle. It also reveals that some program designs are more effective than others. The Kalamazoo Promise is a place-based scholarship program that offers four-year, full-tuition scholarships to residents who graduate from a Kalamazoo public high school. It is characterized by first-dollar and universal eligibility features, …

The Jacksonville Commitment Scholars Program: Graduates’ Perceptions Of Supports And Challenges, Ouida Y. Powe

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The success of The Jacksonville Commitment Scholars Program is well documented. These scholars are retained at a much higher rate and the six year graduation rate of the first two cohorts was higher than the general body. They are all students whose families have minimal financial resources and were eligible for the free or reduced lunch program during their high school years. They were subsequently eligible for the Pell Grant upon college entry demonstrating significant financial need. Many of these students were first-generation students. They have been successful but the specifics of how they collectively found such success was unknown. …

Narrowing The Gap: Exploring The Characteristics And Practices Of Urban School Principals Closing The Achievement Gap, Gordon D. Amerson Jr

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to critically analyze the experiences and practices of Inland Empire urban school principals as they work to close the African American achievement gap. The achievement gap begins in elementary school and continues to persist throughout elementary and secondary schools producing differences in high school graduation rates, college and career attainment, and ultimately socio-economic differences in income between various racial and ethnic groups.

We know the impact of school principals on student achievement is significant. The literature demonstrates that school principals play a key role in developing the structures and systems necessary to improve …

The Effect Of A Summer Oral Language And Literacy Intervention On The Literacy Acquisition Of At-Risk First Grade Emergent Readers, Mary Beth Stevens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The persistent achievement gap between children from low-socioeconomic and mid- to upper-socioeconomic homes is evident in both national and statewide literacy assessments. Although the summer months away from school are part of the problem, they also hold the potential for an effective solution. Interventions that accelerate literacy development during summer vacation, particularly for children of low-socioeconomic status, have the potential to shift the educational trajectory of our most at-risk students. We investigated the effect of a four-week summer oral language and literacy intervention on the literacy development of rising first grade students from at-risk elementary schools in Jefferson County Public …