Digital Commons Network^™

A Program Evaluation Of Professional Learning Communities To Support Professional Development And Student Learning, Tiffany Scott

Dissertations

For this program evaluation, I examined the effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) with regard to how it supported professional development for teachers and student learning at Sunshine Elementary School (pseudonym). The literature reviewed argues that PLCs are viable venues to develop teacher competencies as well as improve student-learning outcomes when implemented with fidelity. The methods in this study included surveys and interviews from teachers, coaches and administrators. There was also a review of the student achievement data to examine results against the perceptions of the study participants. The results indicated areas that were working well, and areas that were …

An Evaluation Of The In-School Suspension Program At One High School, Monique Griffin-Gay

Dissertations

In this program evaluation, I examined the effectiveness of in school suspension (ISS) program at one high school. The literature reviewed argues although ISS is a necessity in the current climate of education, ineffective ISS programs can interrupt academic progress. Often used in isolation and as a holding area for code of conduct violations, ISS can yield results such as increased recidivism, increased hostility and decreased academic progress. The methods used within this study included surveys and interviews from key stakeholders. The results revealed some things were working well, and some things were not. In conclusion, Eminence High should incorporate …

Do After-School Performing Arts Programs Impact Student Attendance?, Robert G. Hubbird

Dissertations

This three-part dissertation concentrates on student attendance. It is clear that we have a student attendance problem in our nation, particularly in urban school districts. There have been other studies, discussions, and debates on how to improve student attendance, but identifying a single policy, program, incentive, and/or intervention to positively impact absenteeism is difficult. Student absenteeism has and will continue to be a national problem. Many factors play a role in student attendance, to a certain degree, some are controllable and others are extremely difficult to affect.

Part I of this dissertation is a Program Evaluation focusing on the correlation …

Attendance Matters! A Policy Advocacy Document, Robert G. Hubbird

Dissertations

This three-part dissertation concentrates on student attendance. It is clear that we have a student attendance problem in our nation, particularly in urban school districts. There have been other studies, discussions, and debates on how to improve student attendance, but identifying a single policy, program, incentive, and/or intervention to positively impact absenteeism is difficult. Student absenteeism has and will continue to be a national problem. Many factors play a role in student attendance, to a certain degree, some are controllable and others are extremely difficult to affect.

This Part III of the dissertation is a Policy Advocacy for absenteeism at …

Attendance Matters! We Must Decrease Student Truancy And Absenteeism, Robert G. Hubbird

Dissertations

This three-part dissertation concentrates on student attendance. It is clear that we have a student attendance problem in our nation, particularly in urban school districts. There have been other studies, discussions, and debates on how to improve student attendance, but identifying a single policy, program, incentive, and/or intervention to positively impact absenteeism is difficult. Student absenteeism has and will continue to be a national problem. Many factors play a role in student attendance, to a certain degree, some are controllable and others are extremely difficult to affect.

Part II of this dissertation is a Changed Leadership Plan focusing on a …

Reducing High School Dropout: An Instrumental Case Study Of Successful High School Dropout Prevention, Sasha Davila Crocker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the dramatic reduction in dropouts in a rural high school in central North Carolina. Dramatic reduction in dropouts is generally defined by having reduced the school’s dropout rate by at least 50% in less than three years. The theories guiding this study were social learning theory and the stage theory of organizational change. The research questions were as follows: (1) How did the high school drastically reduce the dropout rate? (2) What was the role of each key informant in reducing the dropout rate? The data collection processes included individual …

Systems Thinking In The Healthcare Professions: A Guide For Educators And Clinicians, Margaret M. Plack, Pt, Dpt, Edd, Ellen F. Goldman, Edd, Mba,, Andrea Richards Scott, Edd, Mba, Shelley B. Brundage, Phd, Ccc-Slp

Guides

No abstract provided.

Rogers Introduces New Wellness Resources For Stress Management, Brit Blalock

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Culturally Responsive School Leadership: How Principals Use Culturally Responsive Leadership Strategies To Develop Engaging And Inclusive School Environments For All Students, Cherilynne Hollowell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to identify and describe culturally responsive leadership practices and strategies principals of Title I high schools, in suburban contexts, of the Inland Empire in Southern California use to develop schools that engage and include all students.

Methodology: This qualitative study identified and described the practices and strategies of 15 Inland Empire principals of Title I comprehensive high schools in Southern California, used to develop schools that engage and include all students, particularly students that have been historically and traditionally marginalized. Participants were purposively chosen based on specific criteria. The researcher collected data …

2019 March 11 - University Council Agenda And Minutes, University Council, East Tennessee State University

University Council Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Privilege, Bias, And Cultural Competence: An Examination Of How Lived Experience Shapes Academic Advising Practices, Jennifer Englert-Copeland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

As college campuses become increasingly diverse, the need for multicultural awareness among faculty and staff has become a critical component of student success. Though rising diversity among students promotes a rich and more robust learning environment (Gurin, 1999; Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002; Hurtado, 2007; Sleeter & Grant, 1994) and correlates with various positive educational outcomes (Hu & Kuh, 2003; Umback & Kuh, 2006), student affairs and higher education professionals may be ineffective when managing and responding to diversity. For faculty and staff within community college settings, the need for multicultural awareness, including awareness of privilege and bias, is …

Organizational Learning In Libraries At For-Profit Colleges And Universities: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Julie Evener

Other Topics

Despite successful application of organizational learning to enhance services in academic libraries, little is known about organizational learning in libraries of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs). A quantitative online survey, followed by qualitative interviews, served to assess and explore the use of organizational learning in libraries at FPCUs. Data reflected medium to high levels of organizational learning in the libraries studied, as well as a negative relationship between organizational learning and number of students enrolled. Common themes in the interview responses included external pressures from the FPCUs making it more difficult to implement organizational learning, and the importance of communication.

Novice Principals' Transformational And Transactional Leadership Practices, Maria De Lourdes Viloria, Gloria Palau, Jeanette Montalvo

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Novice school principals’ challenges range from school and curricular restructuring, pressures of accountability, and changing local initiatives. The interplay from these different variables leads some novice school principals to abandon their positions during their third year (Fuller & Orr, 2008). This narrative case study explored the relationship of the transformational and transactional leadership practices of two elementary novice principals. The first goal of this narrative case study was to complement course content with a field-based learning experience. Secondly, in this field-based theory to practice research experience, Educational Administration graduate students interviewed two novice school principals. Data analysis focused on the …

New Faculty Hire Transition: The Impact Of The Extent Of The Learning Organization Traits Of Higher Education Institutions, Sik Yin Chan

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the degree to which implementation of learning organization processes in higher education institutions (HEI) affects new faculty hires’ perception of their transitioning success. In this quantitative, ex post facto, comparative study, the researcher also investigated various factors, including academic disciplines, gender and ethnicity, and personality type, to determine if any of these factors would contribute an interaction effect on the relationship between the HEI exhibiting learning organization traits (LOT) and the new faculty hires’ perceived transition success. The researcher collected a convenience sample of 310 full-time professors employed by 33 4-year, private, …

The Impact Of Principals’ Communication Practices On School Success Environment: An Intrinsic Case Study, Sherron Gordon-Phan

All Theses And Dissertations

Communication is the foundation for conveying the overall expectations of staff by a principal and is required for educational leadership. Leaders must communicate precisely what is expected for staff members, students, and parents to do in the educational environment may be an essential element in the progression of the school environment as a whole. Traits that are associated with a leader and people who have those traits are commonly found in leadership roles (Marion & Gonzales, 2014). Principals who communicate the importance of school sustainability, attendance, retention, or graduation success may produce a connecting element when supporting the goal of …

Perceptions Of A Traditional High School Bell Schedule In The 21st Century, Shelley Gates

Dissertations

The daily bell schedule in a comprehensive high school has a significant impact on teaching and learning, school climate, and the well-being of students and staff. An increasing emphasis on the need for students to have strong critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity skills provides an impetus for questioning the length of traditional class periods. This change leadership plan focuses on one school’s effort to examine their current school day schedule to determine what, if any, changes should be made to insure alignment between the daily bell schedule and the school’s mission and goals. Based on the work of …

A Comparison Of Cooperative Learning And Collaboration In High School Geometry Classes Including Geometry In Construction, Shelley Gates

Dissertations

Currently offered at over 450 high schools in the United States, Geometry in Construction is an interdisciplinary course that provides students with the opportunity to learn Geometry content through the process of constructing a single-family home. Highly functioning cooperative groups are a critical element of the Geometry in Construction program. Cooperative learning is an effective instructional strategy that increases student achievement (Slavin, 2011) and also provides opportunities for students to develop collaboration and teamwork skills. Collaboration and teamwork are critical 21st century skills that are highly valued by employers and therefore worthy of consideration as foundational skills to be taught …

Advocating For The Adoption Of A Comprehensive Work-Based Learning System, Shelley Gates

Dissertations

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an instructional strategy that has the potential to help students make powerful connections to the world of work leading to the development of viable post-secondary plans and successful careers. This study advocates for the implementation of a structured continuum of WBL experiences for all students at a large suburban high school. The benefits of WBL for students, the school, the community, and employers are examined. The impact of WBL is analyzed through the lenses of educational, economic, social, political, and ethical perspectives. The negative aspects of the prevailing culture of college for all is discussed. The …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, February 21-22, 2019

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on February 21-22, 2019.

Stress And Coping Among Public School Principals In A Midwest Metropolitan Sample, Jason A. Kaufman

Educational Leadership Department Publications

The present study sought to investigate perceptions of stress and coping among public school principals. School principals are daily called upon to make decisions regarding a range of unscripted events. The position can be stressful, and stress is known to interfere with sound decision making. It was predicted that present samples of school principals would report a mean level of elevated stress. Contrary to expectations, school principals did not report an elevated level of stress. They instead reported an ostensibly effective reliance on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills. It remains unclear how the school principals developed such adaptive means for …

Gateway To Student Satisfaction: A Mixed Methods Study For Redesigning Student Services From A Legacy Model To A 21st Century One-Stop Model, Debora Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the student experience, in a One Stop Center at a public comprehensive community college located in the Mid-Atlantic region. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods analysis to assess the perceived impact of the centralization of functions on student satisfaction. Using expectation confirmation theory, customer satisfaction theory, and the researcher's professional experiences as a framework, the data collected allowed insight into the student experiences within an integrated one stop student service delivery environment. Five key findings demonstrated that further exploration of student needs and more frequent evaluation of services to meet …

Implementing A Multi-Tiered Behavioral Framework System In Seven K-4 Element Aries, Brad J. Dahl

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to complete a formative check of the Multi-Tiered Behavior Framework (MTBF) implementation by gathering elementary teacher and administrator perceptions. These perceptions of implementation are used to inform system-wide action for successful implementation of MTBF. The theoretical framework which guided this study was the Deming Cycle: Plan, Do, Check, Act (Deming, 1950). This framework allowed for the analysis of the project results compared to the expectations. Use of this data enabled the district to more effectively infuse the Multi-Tiered Behavioral Framework system into the instructional design and improve school climate. This study examined the implementation …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Computer Science Rpps: The Case Of Cafecs, Erin Henrick, Steven Mcgee, Ronald I. Greenberg, Lucia Dettori, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Don Yanek, Dale F. Reed

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) are a relatively

recent development as a potential strategy to address the

complex challenges in computer science education. Consequently,

there is little guidance available for assessing the effectiveness of

RPPs. This paper describes the formative evaluation approach

used to assess the progress of the first year of the formalized RPP,

Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFE´CS).

This paper contributes to the RPP literature by providing a case

study of how an RPP effectiveness framework can be adapted

and used to inform partnership improvement efforts in computer

science education.

Developing A Community Of Academic Success Through A Teacher Preparation Initiative, Elizabeth T. Murakami, Ann Marie Smith

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

This study reflects the experiences of professors of education at a 4-year Hispanic-Serving institution in a pilot program to collaboratively develop a curriculum alignment. The professional development opportunity, Teacher Preparation Initiative (TPI), focuses on preparing faculty in a college of education to use concepts which student-teachers could incorporate in their teaching. The study was designed as an ethnographic descriptive single-site case study, and reports on one of two nationwide pilot initiatives. For the purpose of this study, we observed the transformative potential for change in higher education institutions.

A Scoping Review Of Challenges And The Adaptation Process In Academia: Implications For Occupational Therapy Educators, Maria Concepcion C. Cabatan, Lenin C. Grajo, Erlyn A. Sana

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The fulfillment of role expectations and responsibilities as one builds an academic career can be challenging. Increased demand for occupational therapy faculty merits examination of academic experiences from the literature. This study describes the experiences of educators using adaptation models (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012; Schkade & Schultz, 2003) as a theoretical lens. Arksey and O’Malley’s Scoping Study Framework (2005) was used in the study. Researchers reviewed literature from 2005-2017 from four databases. Researchers analyzed 28 articles from higher education and the health professions using quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty-two of the 28 articles were published from 2010-2017. The studies analyzed …

Mental Health Intervention Within The Education System And The Importance Of Developing A Quality Model Of Services, Jaclyn Mumaugh

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine what schools are currently doing with the rise of mental health issues in youth. As schools continue to enroll more and more children suffering from possible mental health issues, districts must be equipped to provide appropriate care. Many factors need to be taken into account before support can be provided within the school, such as training, programming, staffing, and much more. Without proper services, adolescents can encounter many issues that will affect them the rest of their lives. This thesis will provide further information on how schools are currently providing care and …

A Grounded Theory Investigation Of Supervisors’ Perspectives On Multicultural Strength-Based Supervision, Erica D. Wiley

ETD Archive

This study addressed an area of supervision that is important to the identity of Counseling Psychologists: multicultural strength-based clinical supervision. Clinical supervision is instrumental to the development of psychological skills and knowledge and is an essential component of masters and doctoral training in psychology. This research explored the ways that clinical supervisors attempt to incorporate strength-based clinical supervision in conjunction with multicultural supervision strategies and concepts into their work with students, which has not previously been done. This study was a qualitative investigation using grounded theory and adapted consensual qualitative research methodology and analysis. Participants included 14 diverse licensed psychologists …

Exploring Resistance To Change And Intolerance To Ambiguity In Higher Education Institutions

International Journal of Leadership and Change

No abstract provided.

Initiating Change: An Investigation Of Elementary Educators' Perspectives For Implementing Stem Innovation, Jodie Leean Witherspoon

Education Dissertations and Projects

STEM education has become a preferred curriculum design for integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into k-12 instruction (Meyrick, 2011). Nonetheless, many elementary schools do not utilize the curriculum design and the benefits of learning it may provide, even though elementary educators understand the importance of science literacy starting in early childhood (Cafarella, McCulloch, & Bell, 2017; Worth, 2010). For many educators, the traditional instruction received as a child was instruction in isolation. This vision has led educators themselves to teach in isolation. Research has shown educators had little or no direction in how to switch their instructional practices from …

Graduate School News Highlights, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

Newsletter that provides updates and highlights from the Graduate School at Otterbein University.