Secondary Education Commons^™

Juvenile Justice Education For At-Risk High School Youth, Karen Miner-Romanoff

Learning Showcase 2014

Research has shown that current legal policies of transfer of juveniles to adult court, harsh sentences, and intimidating educational programs do not 5 deter youthful crime. This study reports on a nonconfrontational pilot education program in the US juvenile justice system. In three urban high schools, an eight-week researcher-designed curriculum was delivered to three intervention classes totaling 125 at-risk students and three control classes totaling 100 at-risk students. Teachers in both groups administered 10 pretest and posttest surveys. Descriptive statistics showed substantial knowledge gains for the intervention group, from 14.2 to 35.7% in all subdomains, and −7.2 to 21.4% gains …

Learning Style Relationship To Motivation And Success In The Flipped Vs Non-Flipped Classroom, Shannon Seaver

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This research paper will provide a brief overview of what a “flipped classroom” is and the variations of it. It will address whether a flipped classroom is a possible way of addressing students of all learning styles and if all learning styles are motivated in a flipped classroom. The VARK learning style inventory will be given to all students in four College Algebra Prep classes. Two classes will be the flipped “inverted” style of classroom and the other two will be the traditional (control) style of classroom. All students in both formats will also be given a periodic survey to …

An Ethnography Of Voice(S) In The School House: Making Sense Of Girl World, Julie Devaud

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The life of a gifted adolescent girl both in and out of the schoolhouse is dynamic and complicated. This qualitative study, using the methodology of narrative inquiry and multiple interviews, examines how these young women make sense of their lives as they move quickly towards the socialization of womanhood. This study specifically examines which factors lead to their academic success in the schoolhouse and personal success as happy individuals. Using grounded theory and a critical feminist perspective as my framework for analysis, I found the support of family, teachers, and peers was critical. I also discerned four distinct themes among …

An Evaluation Of Physical Activity On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students, Christina N. Phillips

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This study analyzed the relationship between reading achievement and the use of Exergames an intervention, to investigate the areas in which physical activity can improve reading achievement among struggling readers, and to understand the amount of minutes and levels of intensity of physically active adolescents that supports reading achievement. The need for an innovative reading intervention has become more urgent because of the lack of improved reading achievement in the United States. In addition, students should not lose access to physical activity in an attempt to increase reading achievement. Using a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent group design, this study attempted to …

Opportunity Gaps And Remediation: Can Academic Intensity In High School Level The Playing Field?, Brian J. Buddenhagen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College remediation--sometimes referred to as developmental education--has come under increasing scrutiny as policymakers have focused on the racial and economic disparities evident in academic outcomes. The courses are designed to remedy the academic deficiencies of incoming freshmen, but descriptive statistics indicate that these students fare poorly in college, and many will not persist to graduation. This phenomenon is especially pronounced in community colleges, which--due to policy decisions and open enrollment philosophies--take on a the largest proportion of students in remedial education. Considering the attention paid to remediation, the following study focuses on predictors and interventions that could potentially help educators …

The Effect Of Perceived Organizational Support And Perceived Organizational Politics On Teacher Commitment: An Analysis Of Public And Non-Public Secondary Schools, Scott M. Sides

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current research was to comparatively explore and document similarities and differences in POS, POP, and teacher commitment within the two school settings (public and non-public) by analyzing the perceptions of teachers within secondary school settings within a mid-south state. Surveys were sent to teachers for completion. After the removal of seven outliers, 351 teacher surveys were included (public school teacher n = 243, non-public school teacher n = 108). To discern whether POS and POP significantly predicted organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) of teachers and how these constructs differed within the school settings (public and …

Self-Esteem Of Boys During The Transition From A Single-Sex Middle School To A Coeducational High School, Patrick Atkerson

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how men who attended a single-sex elementary and middle school as a boy describe their experiences following their transition to coeducational high schools and how the participants perceived those experiences influenced their global self-esteem during the first years in high school. Two questions guided the research. 1) What changes, if any, did the men in this study perceive in their global self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale after their transition from a single-sex middle school to a coeducational high school? 2) If there were changes to the levels …

Factors Predicting The Satisfaction Of 12th Grade Students In Christian Schools, Darren Mathews

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if any predictive effects existed between gender, religious affiliation (church of Christ versus non-church of Christ), academic achievement measured by GPA, longevity measured by years, and college readiness measured by ACT composite scores on academic, social, faculty, and spiritual satisfaction for 12th grade students in four private, Christian schools in Arkansas. This study determined the accuracy of predictor variables in explaining the criterion variables. It also provided an indicator of the percentage of variance on the criterion variables explained by predictor variables and showed how well they explained the varience. It was …

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 …

Effects Of Response To Intervention On Academic Achievement In High School Literacy And Mathematics, Scott Embrey

College of Education Dissertations

This study examined the effects of a multi-tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) framework on literacy and math in an effort to determine the potential benefits in a secondary setting. Specifically, this study compared literacy and mathematics achievement for 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students, as measured by end-of-course exams, between a secondary school utilizing RTI and a secondary school not using RTI. Furthermore, the disaggregated test scores based on gender and socioeconomic status were analyzed from each school to determine the disparity in academic performance between groups of students, referred to as the “achievement gap”.

A quantitative, causal-comparative strategy was …

Knowledge, Perceptions, And Outcomes Of Agricultural Communications Curriculum In Arkansas Secondary Agricultural Classrooms, Carley Payne Calico

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study was to assess the effectiveness of agricultural communications curriculum developed and incorporated into a semester-long agricultural leadership and communications course for secondary agricultural education programs in Arkansas. This study was comprised of three parts including a pilot test, teacher training assessment, and a descriptive field test over a two-year period. For the pilot test portion of the study, students (N = 297) participated in newly developed instructional modules (careers, writing, design, and multimedia) predetermined by a committee of agricultural education and communications faculty at the University of Arkansas. The pilot test indicated students' …

Language Learners, Inequality Regimes, And Secondary Schooling: Dilemmas Of The New South, Karen Gober

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the structure of the secondary education system in Northwest Arkansas and how it shapes the culture of education for newly arrived Latino immigrants. Significant achievement gaps remain between non-Hispanic white students and Latinos within secondary education. Uncovering possible causes for this gap is necessary in order to allow equal educational opportunity for all students. While prior researchers debate the method of language instruction as a barrier to education, there has been little attention to the relationship between organizational structure and levels of achievement. In-depth interviews with teachers and administrators reveal a consistent theme: large amounts of time …

The Danielson Evaluation System In Two Mid- South High Schools: A Case Study, Laura R. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: How do pilot users of the Danielson Evaluation System perceive this model in two mid-south high schools? The study describes the perceptions of teachers and administrators who implemented the Danielson Teacher Evaluation Model. The primary focus was on teachers and administrators experience with the pilot of the new Arkansas Teacher Excellence Support System. In an effort to meet requirements under the ESEA flexibility waiver Arkansas developed a comprehensive evaluation model to meet state and federal accountability standards. Arkansas Department of Education developed a pilot school program in which they were …

Transforming A High School Media Center Into A Library Learning Commons, Nancy A. Chiara

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Nancy A. Chiara on April 22, 2014.

The Story As A Cultural Transmitter: Applications For Business Education, Carol Blaszczynski, Ph.D.

International Journal for Business Education

Stories assist in transmitting cultural wisdom, including wisdom about the business community. The role of stories in various contexts such as education (including international management), management, and marketing, as well as the job search is explained. The article concludes by presenting instructional activities for business education that develop cultural competence through stories.

2014 Ijbe Front Matter, Tamra Connor

International Journal for Business Education

1. Editorial Board
2. President's Letter
3. SIEC-ISBE International

Assessing High School Biology Academic Achievement By Comparing Traditional Versus Virtual Dissection Of Rat Specimens, Arthur L. Jamison Jr.

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

American's lagging student performance on standardized assessments in critical subject areas such as science has in-part led to numerous educational reforms including No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, resulting in an increased focus on student achievement. International and national government officials note the direct correlation between the value of science and driving the economic prosperity of a nation adding increased pressure to improve science scores in the United States. Local districts and schools struggle with how to improve student achievement in order to meet the requirements of state and federal educational reforms.

The purpose of this mixed-methods …

Lleap 2013 Survey Report : Leading By Evidence To Maximise The Impact Of Philanthropy In Education, Michelle Anderson, Emma Curtin

Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP)

There are people who wish to give in a structured and planned manner, money, time or talents to advance the education of students in need. However, they may not know what schools and their communities need or what prevents them from accessing this additional support. Conversely, what those from schools know and understand about philanthropy is limited. Historically, not-for-profit organisations, with their various programs or services, have been the intermediary between school communities and philanthropy.

The Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP) survey provides a comprehensive study on these issues.

Among the 2013 LLEAP survey findings:

The good news …

Theoretical Development, Factorial Validity, And Reliability Of The Online Graduate Mentoring Scale. Mentoring And Tutoring: Partnership In Learning., Linda Crawford, Justus Randolph, Iris M. Yob

Center for Faculty Excellence Publications

In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical framework underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale’s factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical framework from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical framework with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balance

The Impact And Effectiveness Of Student-Centered Classroom Structure, Amie P. Westberg

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of student-centered learning as an alternative classroom structure. It is important that we continually reflect on our teaching methods and explore alternatives that can help give our students the best chance to succeed. While the literature is mixed with regard to which classroom style is best, there are many sources showing the benefits of student-centered instruction over a strictly teacher- centered classroom. Sources also showed that teachers do not need to choose exclusively one style of teaching, and that a blended classroom using a variety of teaching styles can be …