Secondary Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Advanced Academic Services And College Readiness Among Public High School Students In Rural Remote Appalachian Kentucky, Franklin Brian Thomas

Online Theses and Dissertations

The importance of college to the individual and society has prompted recent policies and accountability systems to emphasize college readiness as the primary benchmark for high school success. Advanced/honors courses, Advanced Placement (AP)/dual credit courses, and gifted programs are the most common advanced academic service options available in public schools to ensure college readiness. This study investigated 2014-2015 school year data associated with 2,792 students in five high schools in five different school districts in rural remote Appalachian Kentucky. The goal was to see which advanced academic service was most associated with college ready students. College readiness was measured in …

Self-Regulated Learning In A Rural, South-Central Kentucky Middle School, Tammy Dungan Board

Online Theses and Dissertations

Self-regulated learning is a phenomenon recognized in nations with positive results on international assessments, such as the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment; IES, 2012). This qualitative, non-evaluative study sought to determine the presence of self-regulated learning in a rural middle school in the south-central United States by utilizing a phenomenological approach.

Self-regulated learning is a practice based upon the constructivist learning theories championed by theorists such as Bandura (1995) and Vygotsky (1978). Zimmerman (1990) coined the term self-regulated learning, which reflects a method by which students are responsible for their own learning through four stages: pre-planning, monitoring for progress, …

Towards A High Quality High School Workforce: A Longitudinal, Demographic Analysis Of U.S. Public School Physics Teachers., Gregory T. Rushton, David Rosengrant, Andrew Dewar, Lisa Shah, Herman E. Ray, Keith Sheppard, Lynn Watanabe

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Efforts to improve the number and quality of the high school physics teaching workforce have taken several forms, including those sponsored by professional organizations. Using a series of large-scale teacher demographic data sets from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this study sought to investigate trends in teacher quality at the national level in the two and a half decades between 1987 and 2012. Specifically, we investigated (i) details about the degree backgrounds, main teaching assignments, and experience levels of those assigned to teach physics; (ii) whether the proportion of those with certifications in physics as a fraction of …

Teaching Strategies For Students With Exceptionalities In The Secondary Art Classroom With A Focus On Students With Autism, Down Syndrome, And Visual Impairment, Cheyanne Maree Fannan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to discover teaching strategies for students who have exceptionalities with a focus on students who have Autism, Down syndrome, or Visual Impairment and how these teaching strategies can be used to teach students in a mainstreamed secondary art classroom. Since the mainstreaming of the public school system has increased, students with exceptionalities have caused uncertainty among teachers about which teaching strategies to use in the classroom to meet all of their students needs. New teaching strategies need to be brought into the classroom to change the way students are learning. This thesis will include: …

Lost & Found, Owen Gottlieb, Ian Schreiber, Kelly Murdoch-Kitt

Presentations and other scholarship

Lost & Found is a strategy card-to-mobile game series that teaches medieval religious legal systems with attention to period accuracy and cultural and historical context.

The Lost & Found games project seeks to expand the discourse around religious legal systems, to enrich public conversations in a variety of communities, and to promote greater understanding of the religious traditions that build the fabric of the United States. Comparative religious literacy can build bridges between and within communities and prepare learners to be responsible citizens in our pluralist democracy.

The first game in the series is a strategy game called Lost & …

Wise Choices? The Economics Discourse Of A High School Economics And Personal Finance Course, Tamara L. Sober

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s high school students will face a host of economic problems such as the demise of the social safety net, mounting college student debt, and costly health care plans, as stated in the rationale for financial literacy provided by the Council for Economic Education’s National Standards for Financial Literacy. These problems are compounded by growing income and wealth inequality and the widespread influence of neoliberal ideology. Although one of the major goals of economics education is to teach students to make reasoned economic choices in their public and private lives and provide the skills to solve personal and social …

Effects Of Personal Technology Devices On Instruction And Learning In High School Biology, Susan P. Beatty, Teresa Clark Ed.D., Dusty Reed, Yuejin Xu

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of personal technology devices during classroom instruction as learning tools by high school biology students. The study sought to determine how a classroom environment with a Bring Your Own Device instructional method in place affected student achievement and student perceptions about biology, as well as viewpoints about their devices as tools for learning. Technology in the hands of teenagers today is nearly ubiquitous and often distracting in the traditional classroom. As the literature indicates, different views exist about the efficacy of using personal technology for learning. This study intended to …

The Effects Of Adapted Physical Education On Students With Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis, Christopher Ij Bolt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from physical activity interventions on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Design: The present study employed a quantitative research synthesis design. The overall conclusions of past research highlight important issues related to physical activity interventions performed on children and adolescents with Down syndrome.

Methods: Standard meta-analytic procedures incorporating inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize 24 studies with 258 independent samples. Cohen’s (1988) criteria for effect sizes were used to interpret and evaluate results.

Results: The average treatment effect for …

The Effect Of The Teaching Practicum Setting On The Beliefs Of Pre-Service Physical Educators About Inclusion In Physical Education, Jacob Cheek

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Abstract

The effect of the teaching practicum setting on the beliefs of pre-service physical educators about inclusion in physical education

Jacob Cheek

BACKGROUND: In order for students with disabilities to be successful in physical education, pre-service physical educators need to gain experience in applying the necessary skills and knowledge. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of placement experience on the beliefs of pre-service physical educators about inclusion and teaching students with disabilities in physical education. METHODS: The ‘Physical Educator’s Judgments on Inclusion’ (PEJI) instrument was completed prior to, and after, involvement in a practicum experience …

Small Town, Big Future: Preparing Rural Maine Students For College, Elizabeth C. Huber

Honors Theses

While the need for a college degree has increased in the knowledge economy era, acquisition of this degree has remained difficult for low-income and first-generation students. At the same time, college preparatory programs designed for this demographic of student tend to be clustered in urban centers while very little focus is given to disadvantaged students in rural communities. The academic prospects of rural students in regards to higher education are the focus of this project. More specifically, this project explores the ways in which college-cultured programs may address the educational needs of students living in rural communities. By doing in-depth …

A Case Study Of Collaboration Between General Education Teachers And Special Education Teachers In A Southern Rural High School, Oassie Jean Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was framed around issues associated with the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom as these issues related to teacher collaboration. Specifically, the problem on which this study focused was that according to the principal at the research site, the general education teachers and special education teacher needed to collaborate more successfully in order to be more helpful to the students. The purpose of this case study was twofold. First, the researcher wished to determine how and to what extent collaboration practices occurred between general education teachers and special education teachers in a southern …

Why Are Soft Skills Missing In Today's Applicants, Robert Schooley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The employers in our country are claiming students are graduating high school and college without the soft skills to succeed in this country’s workforce. This study examined what are soft skills and why are they missing from recent graduates. The study took an historical approach to trace how soft skills have been used and ignored in our nation’s educational history to the point where employers are claiming they are missing in today’s job applicants. The study then conducted focus groups with elementary, middle and high school teachers to assess they ideas on why soft skills are missing or if …

P-20 Alignment For Small Towns And Rural Communities, Donald Shively

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if there is a difference between current workforce skill levels and employer expectations within the Paducah micropolitan area. College and career readiness and cohort graduation rate data were collected for school systems in Kentucky from 2013 to 2016. Using both the college and career readiness data and the cohort graduation data as the dependent variables, the independent-sample t-tests were performed to compare the college and career readiness rates and cohort graduation rates of the pK-12 public schools in the Paducah micropolitan area (N = 12) versus the remaining pK-12 public …

Educating English As A New Language Students Using A Multimedia Based Approach: How Educators Can Assist Enl Students In The Mainstream Classroom, Ashley Marie Jones

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This project will delve into the realm of English as a New Language (ENL) in the mainstream classroom. The main research will be conducted in a secondary school setting, specifically a freshman level English class. This research will be based on observation and interaction with both students and educators. The main topic being explored will be the theory that ENL learners can be educated successfully right alongside their peers through the use of multimedia platforms such as images to accompany lessons, and iPad apps. The research will investigate how students are currently learning in mainstream classrooms and how this can …

The Experiences Of Teachers At Southern California Continuation High Schools: Exposing The Barriers Within Alternative Education, Gabriela R. Ornelas

Pitzer Senior Theses

My project explores the role of teachers at Southern California continuation high schools as it relates to serving low-income students of color in the face of the institutional barriers within alternative education. My study focuses on the teachers’ career, interactions with students, and opinions on accessibility to resources and funding. I have examined their experiences through twenty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers from three districts. My findings indicate that district members’ misconceptions of Latinx students as inherently deviant and academically unengaged drive institutional issues creating financial burden for which teachers are forced to compensate. My study highlights that continuation high …

The Middle Class, Urban Schools, And Choice, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

It is common knowledge that middle- and upper-class parents tend to disfavor urban public schools, and often move to suburbs in order to avoid having to send their children to those schools. Thus, the condition of urban public schools contributes to suburban sprawl- that is, the movement of people and jobs from city to suburb.  This article discusses a variety of possible solutions to the unpopularity of urban schools among middle-class parents.  Part I of the Article suggests that this problem is a cause as well as a result of middle-class flight: that is, urban schools have poor reputations because …

Behind The Digital World: High School Education Evolved, Candy Diaz

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This paper discusses the discrete advantages that technology gives to high school education across the nation. It is crucial to implement digital supplements into school districts for the sake of the future of younger generations. Over the years it has been proven to be cheaper for all levels of education to take the leap into the future, especially high schools. Not only this, but the main signal of change should be due to the familiarity of teenagers with technology. Since they have practically grown up with it then it is only reasonable to upgrade to a new education system.

With …

Black Space On A White Campus; Exploring The Relationship Between African American Students And The Physical Structure Of The University Of Mississippi, Drew Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the University of Mississippi, despite institutional efforts to distance the present from the past, issues of race continue to influence the campus and the experiences of African-American students. This thesis examines the relationship between the physical structure of the university of Mississippi campus and African American students, and investigates the creation of "counter-publics." this thesis analyzes works in critical race theory, higher education, and social geography to argue that the "whiteness" of the university of Mississippi campus creates social and educational barriers for African American students. Furthermore, along with being surrounded by "whiteness," African American students lack any physical …

The District's Stepchild: The Total Erasure Of Low-Income Latinx Students' Needs At Continuation High Schools, Gabriela R. Ornelas

Pitzer Senior Theses

My study explores the underlying factors that allow systemic structural issues to exist within continuation high schools which result in the low educational performance of low-income Latinx continuation students. My study focuses on educators’ experiences, as I conducted 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Southern California continuation high school teachers. I focused on the following areas of study: the teacher’s career, the teacher’s interactions with students, and the teacher’s opinions regarding their accessibility to funding and resources. My findings indicate that teachers, the outer community, and school-board administrators utilize cultural deficit thinking and stigmatization as tools of total erasure to exchange …

Constructive Conflict As A Means To Promote Individual Growth And Organizational Learning, Heidi Thompson-Abell

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

School staff are continuously asked to adapt to changes that are set forth by various governmental and community agencies. These changes are set in motion to improve schools, however, with change brings conflict. Organizational learning has gained attention as a way to adjust to change. Because conflict can be a taxing, disruptive occurrence in organizations, the purpose of this study was to examine how leaders of schools with high teacher empowerment levels use conflict as a positive force to move their schools forward, despite constant change. Research suggests a connection between organizational learning and teacher empowerment. Additional research was necessary …