Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of A Social And Emotional Learning Program And Implications For Diversity Development, Chimille E. Dillard

Dissertations

This paper evaluated the Second Step program used by the Galaxy school district and many of the surrounding school districts in the area as the sole social and emotional learning program for elementary and middle/junior high school students. Research was conducted to discover whether or not the Second Step program addressed the social and emotional skills students need when encountering racial and gender-diverse issues in their everyday lives. Both quantitative and qualitative methods (such as surveys; interviews with teachers, social workers, and administrators; and classroom observations) were used when collecting data throughout the research. It was concluded that the Second …

Embedding Racial And Gender Diversity In State Mandated Common Assessments: A Policy Advocacy Document, Chimille E. Dillard

Dissertations

The purpose of this policy advocacy document was to promote the need to modify the Illinois School Code 5/27-20.4 to include language about a state developed, common assessment that focuses on past and current racial and gender diversity issues in the United States. It highlights the need for embedding past and current racial and gender diversity issues in the United States in the everyday curriculum. Additionally, this document discusses the positive impact this policy will have on students’ social and emotional learning skills.

A Policy Advocating For Turnaround Reform To Improve Failing Schools: Policy Advocacy Document, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

I am advocating for the districts to adopt Turnaround reform. This reform would be available to all schools that are considered failing in the district and not showing sufficient academic improvement. The district has implemented many initiatives to reform schools including turnaround. The implication and effectiveness of turnaround reform if done with fidelity and monitoring can be successful. There is ample research that supports turnaround reform and the positive academic gains and improvement in discipline, attendance, and teacher quality. My research and experience in this work has led me to understand that specific concept are vital to Turnaround success, …

A Plan To Improve Implementation For Professional Learning For Teachers That Is Sustainable And Effective, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

Every school seeks to heighten student achievement. Committed and skilled teachers are instrumental in reaching this goal. Focused professional learning opportunities help support the ongoing growth of all staff. Unfortunately, a number of factors, including finances, teacher turnover, and an absence of trust, work against efforts to implement sound professional learning strategies with fidelity at Lady Academy.

This change plan sought to develop a sustainable plan to address that issue. Surveys with fourth-grade teachers revealed several key steps that must be taken. First, professional learning should be individualized for teachers but developed collaboratively. In addition, Lady Academy should work to …

An Evaluation And Implementation Of Small Groups Using Specific Reading Strategies, Kenyatta Starks

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this program evaluation was to inform best practice for reading instruction in small groups of 4th-grade students using specific reading strategies. There were six teachers involved, all of whom were 4th-grade teachers. The evaluation also examined the implementation of targeted professional learning to improve elementary student reading performance; this treatment was applied to all groups. The teachers were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of three teachers who were responsible for implementing three reading strategies: predicting, making connections, and inferring. Group two consisted of three teachers who were responsible for implementing three different reading strategies: …

The Role Of The Formal Observation In Promoting Reflective Practice, Merryl B. Brownlow

Dissertations

Acheson and Gall (2011) wrote about the tension between teacher evaluation and clinical supervision. In their research they discuss the intent of clinical supervision to be a model for coaching and supporting professional growth as compared to more traditional models of teacher evaluation that were often associated with fear as a motivator. This program evaluation examines the nature of the formal observation in the teacher evaluation process and seeks to explore its role in developing reflective practitioners and promoting professional growth. This study involved researching the perspectives of teachers and administrators regarding their perceptions of the value of the formal …

Improving Progress Structures To Impact Student Achievement At An Elementary School, Kimberly Harper-Young, Kimberly Harper-Young

Dissertations

This Change Plan paper is the second part of a three-part dissertation on improving the progress monitoring structures to impact student achievement. Progress monitoring is a powerful instructional tool within the instructional cycle to increase student performance. When teachers implement the instructional cycle with fidelity, planning instruction, incorporating research-based practices, assessing instruction, and analyzing data, the use of progress monitoring can shift from a mundane task needing to be completed for the administration, district, and/or state, to an integral component of teaching (Santi & Vaughn, 2007).

Wagner et al’s (2006) As-Is and To-Be charts were used for ABC Elementary School, …

Teacher Evaluation: The Change We Wish To See; Improving The Formal Observation Process To Improve Student Learning, Merryl B. Brownlow

Dissertations

Teacher evaluation is a formal construct for improving instruction and student learning. Formal observations are a central component of that process. This change model explores the option of a videotaped observation model as an alternative to the current Illinois state-mandated in-person formal observation to increase teacher ownership, promote reflective practice and improve instructional practices. The evaluation process is a vehicle that promotes collaboration among building leaders and staff. The Illinois shift to a professional practice model provides a construct for a culture and climate that encourages reflection and promotes professional growth (Danielson, 2011; Darling-Hammond, 2013; Jay, 2003; Stuhlman, Hamre, Downer, …

23 Illinois Administrative Code 50: Redefining The Formal Observation In Teacher Evaluation; A Policy Advocacy Document, Merryl B. Brownlow

Dissertations

This document explores how a change in the definition of the formal observation may improve the teacher evaluation system in the state of Illinois. Currently, the formal observation must be conducted in person as defined by administrative code. In an effort to increase the value and impact of the formal observation as a tool for reflection and professional growth, this paper advocates for a videotaped alternative as an option in addition to the current in-person model. The intent of including a videotaped option is to empower the teacher in the process and increase ownership for building skills as a reflective …

The Impact Of Progress Monitoring Structures On Student Achievement, Kimberly Harper-Young, Kimberly Harper-Young

Dissertations

This program evaluation studied the impact of teacher efficacy on progress monitoring structures. To examine the effectiveness of teachers’ efficacy on implementing a progress monitoring tool, teachers in grades 3-8 were administered a questionnaire to discover their perceptions about implementing progress monitoring with fidelity, their ability to use a computer-based program, their comfort in doing so, and the quality of the data it enabled them to view. The results of the questionnaire suggest that teacher efficacy is an important factor in implementing progress monitoring.

Organizational Change Plan For Closing The Black And White Achievement Gap, Markisha Mitchell

Dissertations

Abstract

Across the United States in almost every city, every suburb and every rural area there is a gap between the achievements of Black and White students. The term “achievement gap” has become an accepted label in situations where Black students severely underperform relative to their White counterparts. Many school Districts have discretely avoided discussing and or addressing this gap for decades. School District Z, located in an urban suburb just outside of a large midwestern city, is the focus of this research as they attempt to address the gap. Approximately two-thirds of District Z is composed of students of …

Increasing The Buy-In And Effectiveness Of A Social And Emotional Learning Class Program In A Single Sex, Urban And Charter High School: Social And Emotional Learning Specialists And Student Perceptions Of Its Implementation., Kizawanda A. Olowe

Dissertations

Social-emotional learning has yet to be implemented in many schools in America. Without adequate social and emotional skills, students struggle to navigate their academic and social environments. Students attending a single-sex, urban charter school participated in focus groups and completed surveys about their perceptions of a social-emotional learning program that was implemented during the 2015–2016 school year. Social-emotional learning facilitators completed surveys and participated in focus groups to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Graphs and themes based on the information gathered from the surveys, open-ended questions, and focus groups were used to analyze the data. Both students …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Character Education Program In A Single-Sex, Urban Charter High School: Learning From Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Its Implementation., Kizawanda A. Olowe

Dissertations

Students who are taught the Illinois State Board of Education’s social and emotional learning standards are granted skills that help them make positive contributions to society. Well-rounded individuals have acquired abilities that allow them to make sound decisions, interact with others, and develop self-awareness skills. Adept individuals who have the skills to teach students strategies that help them to develop an emotional intelligence should implement character education programs using evidence-based strategies. Students who attended a single-sex charter school in an urban area participated in a program evaluation to determine if it was being implemented with fidelity. Students and program implementers …

Educational Policy Development For Closing The Black And White Achievement Gap, Markisha Mitchell

Dissertations

Abstract

Across the United States in almost every city, every suburb, and every rural area, there is a gap between the achievements of Black and White students. The term “achievement gap” has become an accepted label in situations where Black students severely underperform relative to their White counterparts. Many school districts have discretely avoided discussing and/or addressing this gap for decades. School District Z, located in an urban suburb of a large Midwestern city, is the focus of this research as they attempt to address the gap. Approximately two-thirds of District Z is composed of students of color, yet the …

Differentiating The Principal Evaluation: Policy Advocacy Document, Kimberly Harper-Young, Kimberly Harper-Young

Dissertations

High-quality school leadership is pertinent to improving school performance and raising student achievement. Research supports that the impact of leadership is most significant in schools with the greatest needs (Clifford & Ross, 2012). Further, research suggests that leadership is the second most important factor impacting student achievement (Mitgang, 2013). This policy advocates for Chicago Public School (CPS) District 299 to implement a policy that differentiates Principal Evaluation. Implementing this policy could create a more equitable evaluation system to support, hire, and retain effective leadership in every school in Chicago. Creating a policy to support the implementation of a principal evaluation …

Program Evaluation For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Tracking The Academic Growth And Attendance Of Black Students In Closing The Black And White Achievement Gap, Markisha Mitchell

Dissertations

Across the United States in almost every city, every suburb, and every rural area there is a gap between the achievements of Black and White students. The term “achievement gap” has become an accepted label in situations where Black students severely underperform relative to their White counterparts. Many school districts have discretely avoided discussing and or addressing the gap for decades. School District Z, located in an urban suburb just outside of a large midwestern city, is the focus of this research as they attempt to address the gap. District Z is composed of approximately two-thirds students of color, yet …

Increasing School Social Worker Supports For Schools In Illinois: Policy Recommendations For Supporting Student Learning And Growth., Kizawanda A. Olowe

Dissertations

Administrators and board members at the Illinois State Board of Education recommended that schools with certain demographics hire one social worker for every 350 students. The policy has yet to be implemented despite high rates of student poverty, lagging test scores, school bullying, suspensions, and an increased number of school shootings. The Illinois State Board of Education’s social and emotional learning standards guide educators and policy makers to interact and educate each student. School social workers equipped with the necessary skill set provide services, implement district-wide social and emotional learning programs, and work with various stakeholders to monitor progress. A …

Wicor Walkthroughs And Teacher Practice, Christie L. Mcmullen

Dissertations

Watching experts execute their craft allows for learning. In four schools, this type of learning, teachers watching one another teach, was made available and the feedback from those interviewed showed positive results. This paper explains the process each school used for allowing teachers to watch others teach and the results that they got in the process. This program evaluation was designed to provide guidance to principals on some specific ways to ensure that they can avoid pitfalls if they were to employ a similar strategy with their staff. Teachers using high yield strategies with confidence in their classrooms has the …

Consistent Coaching And Alignment: A New Way Of Work For College Readiness System Staff, Christie L. Mcmullen

Dissertations

As an answer to a missing system of interaction and accountability between College Readiness System (CRS) Staff and school systems across the country, a coaching framework was created. This framework provides a repeatable, consistent model for CRS staff members to use with each school implementing CRS across the nation. This paper outlines the new coaching framework, the need for having a framework and the process for getting all stakeholders to support the new system. This process would be applicable for implementing any type of change within a large non-profit organization. This change leadership project includes ways to get organizations to …

Ensuring Student Success In Full-Day Kindergarten: Purposeful Professional Development And Professional Learning Communities, Amy Houlihan

Dissertations

The change leadership model, developed by Wagner et al. (2008), was utilized to assess the context, culture, conditions and competencies of a large suburban school district during the early stages of districtwide implementation of full-day kindergarten. With overwhelming support from families, teachers and administrators, the change plan revolves around ongoing and purposeful professional development for staff building upon systematic work of Professional Learning Communities in order to provide a high quality full-day kindergarten program across twenty-three kindergarten program sites. When districts and schools focus on purposeful professional development and enhanced practice of Professional Learning Communities programs can work to provide …

A Change Plan For Underachieving Gifted Children, Jason Major

Dissertations

There exists a population of gifted and talented students for whom the educational system does not service. These children are often either from poverty or minority backgrounds, or sometimes so profoundly smart that schools simply do not know what to do with them or where they fit in. This change plan explores the opportunity for a school just for these students, where they can study free of hindrances of standards and acceleration. After research and interviews with members of the field of gifted, there may not currently be such a model anywhere in our country. Schools do exist for gifted …

Policy Advocacy For Letting Schools Be Schools, Jason Major

Dissertations

Ever since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools have been in an era of high stakes accountability around test scores, attendance, and climate and culture. This has also ushered in a wave of accountability down to teachers in the form of paperwork, mandates, and a heavy emphasis on reading and math. In Chicago Public Schools, all schools in the district are rated on the School Quality Rating Policy, which utilizes the Northwest Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress assessment to determine student growth from the spring of one year to the spring of the next. This heavy …

A Program Evaluation Of Double-Period Algebra, Jason Major

Dissertations

Students in ninth grade traditionally take algebra courses, but many students come in lacking foundational skills in mathematics. High schools have tried to solve this problem by introducing double-period algebra courses with sporadic results. During this program evaluation, I interviewed an administrator and a teacher from two different high schools about the methods they used to begin and evaluate the program; I found that student-teacher relationships were the most important factor in the effectiveness of the program. Using quantitative data was a good starting point to determine the students who would benefit from the program and who would be successful, …

Standards-Based Grading Within A School District Using Personalized Learning, Dywayne Hinds

Dissertations

This policy advocacy document, as part of my study, focused on my desire to implement a new grading practice within the district. This change will result in moving to a standards-based grading system from a traditional grading system. Although this would be a new practice within the district, many districts throughout the nation are making similar changes. The reason for my policy is associated with the need to measure more accurately student performance and to determine if students have mastered content specific standards within a course of study. Educators must place emphasis on the mastery of content specific standards that …

An Evaluation Of One District's Think Through Math Program And Curriculum Implementation, Dywayne Hinds

Dissertations

Think Through Math is a research based math program. One school district implemented the program to improve student performance on the state standardized assessment. After two years of implementation, 44% of middle school students in the district did not make adequate progress in math as measured by the state assessment. The purpose of my study was to determine the effectiveness of the Think Through Math program used within middle school Intensive Math classes throughout the district. Guided by research on the critical aspects of implementation, my study examined teachers’ perceptions of (a) resources used within the program, (b) the impact …

Kindergarten For Equity: A Policy Advocacy Statement, Amy Houlihan

Dissertations

The urgency to close the achievement gap means it is our moral imperative to provide all children with the opportunities necessary to succeed as early as possible. Knowing the critical timing of a child’s brain development from birth to age five, we cannot afford to wait until a child is six or seven years old to begin developing their academic and social emotional capacity. This policy advocacy document supports a statewide mandate for children to attend kindergarten at age five throughout the state of Illinois. With little need for increased resources to accommodate the mandate, the social, moral and ethical …

Ongoing Professional Learning Opportunities, Christie L. Mcmullen

Dissertations

As an answer to a lack of policy around follow up training between CRS Center Staff and school systems across the country, a policy needs to be created around providing follow up training opportunities nationally. This policy provides a repeatable, consistent model for CRS Center staff members to use with each school implementing CRS across the nation. This paper outlines the policy for allowing teachers to see other teachers implementing CRS strategies in their schools, therefore increasing the use of these strategies in classrooms nationally. This process will be applicable for school districts that works with CRS nationally. This policy …

Effective Implementation Of A Formative Assessment System, Kim Ontiveros

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the Change Leadership Plan was to identify and describe a current issue facing a school district and creating a vision of change to strengthen the issue. With this change plan, the problem is the formative assessment system. The plan advocates for a change to the formative assessment system strengthening student engagement and informing teacher instruction. The changes are examined in several different ways: describing the current situation, conducting research to support change, and designing a vision of what the formative assessment system will look like after the change. The research conducted was done through a survey …

A Collaborative & Systematic Approach To Implementing An Effective Standards-Based Grading And Reporting System: A Change Leadership Plan, Hector Freytas

Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the collaborative efforts between the Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Committee (SBGRC) at Mountain West High School (MWHS) and the Leadership District Team (LDT), which consisted of the following stakeholders: the district superintendent, the chief business officer, the chief financial officer, multiple principals and assistant principals, students, and parents of Mountain West School District (MWSD). These groups researched effective grading and reporting policies and procedures for possible implementation, and worked toward developing a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely (SMART) goal. In addition, a multiyear action plan was cocreated to streamline the process (DuFour, 2006). This …

A Collaborative & Strategic Approach To Improve School Achievement Through The Advocacy Of An Effective Grading, Promotion And Reporting Policy, Hector Freytas

Dissertations

This policy advocacy study examined the current grade and promotion policy on record for Mountain West School District (MWSD) as it relates to mastery of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS), the academic targets identified for students to be successful in colleges and careers. Furthermore, this study recommended changes to the existing policy at MWHS so as to report grades from coursework and those at the end of marking periods as accurately and fairly as possible, with specific skills-based feedback related to the mastery (or lack thereof) of both local and national standards that …