Secondary Education Commons^™

The Revolving Door Of Education: Teacher Turnover And Retention Amongst The Graduates Of A Liberal Arts Teacher Education Program, Gregory W. Dachille, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

In the United States, elementary and secondary education teachers comprise 4% of the entire civilian workforce (Ingersoll, 2001). The composition of that 4% is changing because of teacher turnover. According to recent statistics, 46% of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years of teaching and 9.5% of teachers leave the classroom within their first year (Rinke, 2014; Riggs, 2013; Zheng & Zeller, 2016). This study is designed to examine the teaching experiences of graduates of one teacher education program and the potential differences between graduates who stay in teaching and those who leave. Throughout this study, the guiding …

Maybe It's Time To Put Betsy Devos In 'Receive Mode', Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

By now you have probably heard about Betsy DeVos' big day out recently. She tried to visit a middle school in Washington but found the front door blocked when she showed up. This led, of course, to the publication of an already-infamous cartoon suggesting that DeVos is actually a modern-day Civil Rights warrior, and to the suggestion that protesters blocking DeVos at the schoolhouse door was the functional (if not moral) equivalent of preventing black children from attending segregated schools in the 1950s and '60s. It's an argument that is morally wrong, historically stupid, and patently offensive. [excerpt]

Betsy Devos Is No Ruby Bridges, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

So maybe you saw this cartoon that was drawn by Glenn McCoy for the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat under the headline "Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos." If you didn't, take a look.

In the cartoon, of course, you see little Betsy DeVos walking to school, book in hand, surrounded by faceless men who are there to protect her. It seems to barely be working: there is profanity scrawled on the wall ("NEA"!; "Conservative"!; an anarchy symbol) and what appears to be a really juicy, nasty tomato thrown against the wall. For context, you might also be interested in looking at this …

Students With Intellectual Disabilities Accessing Postsecondary Education Settings: Promoting Education Equity: Seeing Students For Their Ability First And Supporting Their Development As Contributing Members Into A Diverse Society, Kathleen N. Mercier

Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine and describe the lived experiences of seven students with intellectual disabilities (ID) participating in two postsecondary education (PSE) settings in Southern California that were aligned to the Think College Standards-Based Conceptual Framework for Inclusive Higher Education.

Through a qualitative approach of ethnography, the researcher examined various stakeholders’ awareness and ability to support students with ID in higher education settings in an effort to support future development of PSE programs for students with ID. Methodology tools included classroom observations, individual interviews, and examination of artifacts from the sample of PSE settings in …

And What If Devos Is Confirmed?, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

So today is the big day: the Senate is expected to finally vote on Betsy DeVos's nomination to become the next U.S. Secretary of Education, and Vice President Mike Pence is poised to break an expected tie in her favor. I doubt very much that aything other than the expected result is going to happen. After all, we live in an age when too many politicians pick their voters, not the other way around. My bet is that Collins and Murkowski were allowed to announce their votes against DeVos because the leadership had already conducted a tight whip count …

Turning Teachers Into Action Researchers In Their Classrooms, Dusty Columbia Embury, Laura S. Clarke

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Action research is often called the teacher’s research and often feels like a common sense approach to solving problems, but not all pre-service teachers begin careers knowing how to use this methodology to improve their own practice. This article offers a rationale for teaching pre-service teachers the skills and action research methodology as a tool for professional improvement based on the experiences of the authors engaging in a reflective process for teaching. While not generalizable, it is hoped that lessons learned may be applied by other faculty in teacher education programs.

A Model Of The Use Of Evolutionary Trees (Muet) To Inform K-14 Biology Education, Yi Kong, Ankita Thawani, Trevor R. Anderson, Nancy Pelaez

PIBERG Publications

Evolutionary trees are powerful tools used in modern biological research, and also commonly used in textbooks and classroom instruction. Studies have shown that K-14 students have difficulties interpreting evolutionary trees. To improve student learning about this topic, it is essential to teach them how to understand and use trees like professional biologists. Unfortunately, few currently used teaching frameworks for evolution instruction are designed for this purpose. In this study we developed the Model of the Use of Evolutionary Trees (MUET), a conceptual model that characterizes how evolutionary trees were used by professional biologists as represented in their research publications. The …

Youth Services At Public Libraries, Amy Mockoski

High School Libraries Workshop

Amy Mockoski speaks on the services offered to the public schools and youth from the Contra Costa Public Library

A Social Constructionist Inquiry Study On The Lived Experiences Of Educators With Dyslexia Overcoming Workplace Barriers And Increasing Their Capacity For Success, Kathryn R. Taylor

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research is to journey the lives of educators with dyslexia growing up as K-12 students, working in the K-12 educational environment, and the means by which those educators overcome workplace barriers as analyzed by three guidelines under the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principle, multiple means of engagement. The qualitative study was designed from a constructive inquiry perspective. This method allowed the researcher to construct reality by interpreting a group of educators’ perceptions based on their experiences and social dynamics living with dyslexia. The primary data was collected from one-on-one interviews guided by scripted questions. …

Integrated Stem Through Tumblewing Gliders, Scott R. Bartholomew

Faculty Publications

Teachers have the opportunity to use technology and engineering design problems to engage students in integrated STEM education. “Tumblewing” gliders are easy-to-make paper gliders that can challenge, excite, and engage students. As students emphasize the practices of science and engineering while completing a tumblewing design challenge, they will engage in both scientific inquiry and the engineering design process.

What If Betsy Devos Is Not Confirmed?, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

After her disastrous turn in front of the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions last week, the odds of Betsy DeVos not being confirmed as secretary of education have to at least be a lot higher than they used to be. It seems like no stretch to say that she is no slam dunk, if she ever was. [excerpt]

Betsy Devos Fails The Test, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

Mitt Romney said: "Betsy DeVos is a smart choice for education secretary." The Wall Street Journal said DeVos "knows how to fight and how to make the moral case for reform." Andrew Rotherham called her "a pretty mainstream pick." Rick Hess, purveyor of "straight talk" on education issues, informs us that DeVos is a "solid pick" who is "smart, thoughtful, and committed to doing what she thinks is best." It's too bad none of that was on display yesterday when DeVos in the hearing yesterday to determine if she should become the next U.S. Secretary of Education. …

Obama's Legacy For Education Policy, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

Last night Barack Obama delivered his farewell address to a raucous crowd in Chicago. This morning, Donald Trump delivered his first press conference as president-elect in front of a surprisingly raucous crowd at Trump Tower in New York. The difference between the two, in tone as well as substance, could not have been more stark. [excerpt]

A Study Of High School Students Of Military Personnel And Their Perceptions Of Support In A Rural Public School, Eileen Marie Farley

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to understand the unique social and emotional characteristics of the high school military-affiliated students and student perceptions about the school’s efficacy in meeting those social and emotional characteristics. To address the problem, this study looked at a high school in a rural community 20 miles outside of a large military base with a 25% military-affiliated population. The quantitative study surveyed students in the ninth and eleventh grades using a previously validated tool, the California Healthy Kids Survey, and the data were collected and analyzed by loglinear analysis. The data suggested that while the military students felt supported …

Impacts Of Student Financial Education Outcomes, Jennifer Newquist, Nancy Shepherd

School of Human Sciences Research Showcase

Many young people are worried about financial matters and want more knowledge about personal finance. States who mandate financial education suggest students exhibit positive behaviors and are more likely to save and manage money. The study (N=606) showed that college students who completed high school in Texas did not recall courses they learned about financial education, but were very confident (27%) or somewhat confident (43%) when managing finances. Of the 30% who completed courses, 97% wanted to know more about personal financial management. Economics (74%), Government (64%), U.S. History (43%), and Social Studies (30%) were the primary courses where these …

The Perceptions Of College Foreign Language Students Concerning Their High School Foreign Language Preparation, Bryan M. Pickens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of college students studying a foreign language concerning their high school foreign language study experience. In particular, the study examined students’ beliefs about factors that may have contributed to a successful transition into the study of foreign languages in college. The population consisted of college students from post-secondary schools in West Virginia who took a foreign language class. Students completed a survey designed to obtain grade point average data, language course completion history, type of language studied, in addition to subjective perceptions about effects of academic preparation, motivation, and overall …

Effectiveness Of Essentials For College Math As A High School Transitional Course, Jennifer S. Riggleman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Statistics on the number of students who leave high school underprepared for postsecondary education, and have to take remedial coursework upon entrance to college vary, but, unfortunately, for at least the last 10 years, these statistics have remained high. This study examined the effectiveness of one transitional high school math curriculum called Essentials for College Math and its impact on 887 students in the state of North Carolina for the 2014-2015 academic year. The results of the study showed that there was a statistically significant improvement seen in pre- and post-test scores of students that completed the course. There was …

Douglass High School: Students' Perspectives On Attending A Segregated School, Lee Ann Hvizdak Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Douglass High School (DHS), named for the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, was a segregated high school built in 1924 located in Huntington, West Virginia. For thirty-seven years the three-story brick building served as a major academic, social, and cultural resource for African American families in Huntington. Many students considered the school to be the heart of the black community, even given the challenges of segregated schools of the era. This study traces the historical development of Douglass as a segregated African American junior/senior high school in Cabell County, West Virginia. The research focuses on the experience of DHS alumni to gain …

A Comparative Study Of Two Graduation Pathways: Traditional Vs. Stem At A Southeastern High School, Chemisi Asha Kogo-Masila

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study approach investigated the impact of standardized tests on student achievement from the STEM program and the traditional program in a suburban high school. Qualitative data were collected from interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires to get perceptual data from teachers. Quantitative data were collected from different demographic information and the standardized tests American College Testing (ACT) and end-of-course examination (EOC). An independent sample t test, the Chi-Square Test of Independence and Pearson R Correlation of association test were used to analyze the data collected. Documents with the graduation rates for the participants were reviewed, and both programs had …

The Feasibility Of Implementing Early College Instructional Strategies And Design Principles In Traditional High Schools As A Reform Model, Shelia Smith Wyont

Education Dissertations and Projects

Early college high schools were developed as a partnership between school districts and colleges to provide students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma concurrently with an associate’s degree or transferable college credit at little or no cost. In 2011, North Carolina New Schools implemented the Rural Innovative Initiative with the purpose of expanding college readiness and reducing dropouts by applying early college design principles and strategies into 18 existing traditional high schools in low-wealth districts. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementation of early college principles and strategies into traditional high schools. The …