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A Contemporary Understanding Of The Effects Of The Third Wave Of School Finance Litigation, Jason Richard Kopanke
A Contemporary Understanding Of The Effects Of The Third Wave Of School Finance Litigation, Jason Richard Kopanke
Dissertations
School finance litigation is often conceptualized as occurring in three waves, with the most recent wave, the third wave, beginning in 1989. Third wave litigation argues for improvements in school funding by claiming that schools are inadequately funded, resulting in students being deprived of their constitutional right to a certain level of education. Despite this third wave’ thirty-one year history, its effects remain understudied. In this secondary data analysis thirty-three cases where plaintiffs prevailed and twenty-nine cases where defendants prevailed were used to examine the effects of third wave school finance litigation on school funding and student achievement, and to …
Experiences And Perspectives Of International School Leaders: A Case Study From Saudi Arabia, Ahlam Abdullah Alhudithi
Experiences And Perspectives Of International School Leaders: A Case Study From Saudi Arabia, Ahlam Abdullah Alhudithi
Dissertations
Alhudithi, Ahlam Abdullah. Experiences and Perspectives of International School Leaders: A Case Study from Saudi Arabia. Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. International schools have become an important educational sector in the last two decades due to the dramatic growth of these schools. Yet, very few studies have been conducted worldwide regarding international schools' leadership even though the number of these schools is rapidly increasing each year. This study aimed to explore the experiences of school leaders at international schools in Saudi Arabia. The research question guided this study was the following: What are the experiences …
Does Socioeconomic Status Influence Students’ Postsecondary Plans?, Brian A. Young
Does Socioeconomic Status Influence Students’ Postsecondary Plans?, Brian A. Young
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not socioeconomic status (SES) influenced high school students’ plans for continuing their learning after high school. This study collected data via an online survey and a sample size of 343 participants from three comprehensive public high schools. A hierarchical logistic regression was conducted and found to be statistically significant. The variables of gender, race, and SES were found not to be significant predictors of having a postsecondary plan, but grade point average (GPA) was a significant predictor. The results failed to reject the null hypothesis, meaning household SES was not …
The Perceived Change In School Climate After Principal Turnover, Jessica Lyn O'Toole
The Perceived Change In School Climate After Principal Turnover, Jessica Lyn O'Toole
Dissertations
Schools with positive school climate demonstrate higher student achievement (Brookover et al., 1978; Johnson & Stevens, 2006; MacNeil, Prater, & Busch, 2009; Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, & Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2013) and principals contribute to creating a positive school climate (Allen, Grigsby, & Peters, 2015; Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, & Pickeral, 2009; McCarley, Peters, & Decman, 2016). However, principal turnover happens frequently, with nearly half of all principals leaving their position by their third year at the school (School Leaders Network, 2014). When there is a change in the school’s principal, both student achievement and the school’s climate can be negatively impacted (Béteille, Kalogrides, …
Educational Leaders’ Role In Sustaining Achievement In Successful, High- Poverty Title I Elementary Schools: A Case Study On Practices And Actions Leaders Take, Jennifer Ann Fodness
Educational Leaders’ Role In Sustaining Achievement In Successful, High- Poverty Title I Elementary Schools: A Case Study On Practices And Actions Leaders Take, Jennifer Ann Fodness
Dissertations
An education system where every student is successful has been a primary goal for the United States. Increasing student achievement for student populations identified as at risk for not meeting educational goals is imperative for students, school leaders and educators, policymakers, businesses, and taxpayers across the nation. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple-case study was to explore and describe practices and actions used by educational leaders in two successful high-poverty Title I schools who influenced sustained achievement. Three themes were identified in each school through thematic analysis of interviews, observations, and documents. For one school, the three themes were (a) …
Parent Perspectives On Their Role In The Transition Planning Process Of Children With Significant Support Needs, Elizabeth Elaine Osborne
Parent Perspectives On Their Role In The Transition Planning Process Of Children With Significant Support Needs, Elizabeth Elaine Osborne
Dissertations
Legally coordinated transition plans have been the expectation since the Individual with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA, 1990). Research is firm that parent participation and high expectations are evidence-based practices supporting improved outcomes in post-secondary environments (Mazzotti et al., 2016; Test, Mazzotti et al., 2009). Yet, these two expectations, which should work synchronously, often seem to be out of sync. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to give voice to the parents of children with significant support needs (SSN; Colorado Department of Education, 2017). The researcher explored the parent’s perceptions in the transition planning process, specifically evaluating their role in …
Confluences Of Student Leadership And White Privilege: Exploring Consciousness-Of-Self With White Student Leaders, Jeremy N. Davis
Confluences Of Student Leadership And White Privilege: Exploring Consciousness-Of-Self With White Student Leaders, Jeremy N. Davis
Dissertations
There is a growing body of literature signaling the relevance of race in leadership development, but many conventional models do not prompt exploration of this social identity. The omission of race in leadership curriculum is disadvantageous for all college students, but among White student leaders, it may be a continuance of White privilege. The purpose of this constructivist study was to explore how White student leaders make meaning of their racial identity, and corresponding privilege, through a relevant leadership framework. Racial caucusing was employed as a method to prompt discussion and gather narratives from four White student leaders. Findings from …
How Prepared Are Principals To Evaluate Teachers? A Look At Principals’ Professional Development And High Stakes Educator Evaluation, Angie Katherine Lackey
How Prepared Are Principals To Evaluate Teachers? A Look At Principals’ Professional Development And High Stakes Educator Evaluation, Angie Katherine Lackey
Dissertations
Lackey, Angie Katherine. How Prepared Are Principals to Evaluate Teachers? A Look at Principals’ Professional Development and High Stakes Educator Evaluation. Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. A primary goal of Race to the Top was to increase states’ capacities to help school districts have a common means of evaluating teachers and school principals. With funding, states developed a rubric that could be used by districts to evaluate and improve teacher practice. As a result of this change to state systems, research has also begun to focus on the knowledge and practice of school principals who …
Characteristics And Motivation Of Spanish- Speaking Latinx Families Of Children With Disabilities Engaged In A Family Support Group, Sandra Helena Rasmussen
Characteristics And Motivation Of Spanish- Speaking Latinx Families Of Children With Disabilities Engaged In A Family Support Group, Sandra Helena Rasmussen
Dissertations
Rasmussen, Sandra Helena. Characteristics and Motivation of Spanish-Speaking Latinx Families of Children with Disabilities Engaged in a Family Support Group. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. English learners consistently demonstrate achievement gaps with family educational engagement being one method to improve student academic achievement, however, culturally and linguistically diverse families engage less due to cultural and language differences as well as due to motivational barriers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to add to the limited literature by gaining insights into the motivational reasons of Spanish-speaking families to engage in a family support group. …
Reducing Levels Of Maladaptive Perfectionism In Gifted And Talented Youth Through A Mindfulness Intervention, Sophia Rebecca Olton-Weber
Reducing Levels Of Maladaptive Perfectionism In Gifted And Talented Youth Through A Mindfulness Intervention, Sophia Rebecca Olton-Weber
Dissertations
This study examined the impact of a mindfulness program on 42 middle school students who had been identified as Gifted and Talented. Participants completed a six-week intervention designed to teach mindfulness. Before starting the group, students completed the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS; Flett et al., 2016) which provides a measure of self (i.e., setting excessively high goals and standards for self) as well as socially-prescribed (i.e., perception that others are holding individual to unrealistic standards) perfectionism. Additionally, participants’ use of mindfulness was measured. All measures were completed at pre-, post-intervention, and at follow up to determine whether the …
The Experience Of Affectional And Gender Minority Students At Cacrep Accredited Counseling Programs Housed Within Conservative Christian Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Matthew S. Tis
Dissertations
Tis, Matthew S. The Experience of Affectional and Gender Minority Students at CACREP Accredited Counseling Programs Housed within Conservative Christian Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experiences of affectional and gender minority students who currently attend or previously attended CACREP accredited counseling programs housed within Conservative Christian Institutions (CCIs), and the sense they make of those experiences. Eight themes emerged from individual interviews conducted with five participants, with most themes existing across all participant accounts. Participants described discriminatory environments …
Reasons For Choosing A Study Abroad Destination: A United States Student Perspective, Kristy Sue Berg
Reasons For Choosing A Study Abroad Destination: A United States Student Perspective, Kristy Sue Berg
Dissertations
Berg, Kristy Sue. Reasons for Choosing a Study Abroad Destination: A United States Student Perspective. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The number of U.S. students who study abroad has been rising for the past 60 years (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2010). Since the 2017/2018 academic year, U.S. college study abroad rose 2.7% over the 2016/17 academic year with approximately 341,751 students participating in a study abroad program (IIE, 2020e). One in 10 undergraduate students participates in a study abroad program before graduation (IIE, 2020e). Perceptions U.S. students have of other countries impact their choice …
The Impact Of Teacher Beliefs On Relationship-Building In A High School Advisory Program, Insoon H. Olson
The Impact Of Teacher Beliefs On Relationship-Building In A High School Advisory Program, Insoon H. Olson
Dissertations
This was a descriptive case study at a high-needs, comprehensive public high school in Northern Colorado, focused on teachers’ beliefs regarding building relationships with students in the context of a structured high school advisory. Participants were members of the ninth-grade advisory team, including the Coordinator, counselor, Zero Drop-out Student Interventionist, and fourteen content teachers. Each teacher had approximately twenty freshmen students, some of whom were also in their ninth-grade content courses. The author created and anonymously distributed an open-ended pre-questionnaire to the participants, whose responses were blind copied to an anonymous Google survey, collecting all responses within a Google spreadsheet …
Exploring Self-Determination Scores In Youth And Young Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Kaitlyn Marie Millen
Exploring Self-Determination Scores In Youth And Young Adults Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Kaitlyn Marie Millen
Dissertations
Self-determination is a potential predictor of in-school and post-school success, yet it has not previously been examined in youth and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The purpose of this study utilizing a cross-sectional survey design was to (a) determine if the scores produced by the American Sign Language (ASL) version of the Self-Determination Inventory (ASL SDI:SR) are valid and reliable and (b) examine self-determination scores in youth and young adults who are DHH to determine typical areas of strength and need within the population and if scores vary by disability, communication mode, or educational setting. …
Community College Advisors' Understandings And Uses Of Colorado Statewide Transfer Articulation Policy, Paul Eric Giberson
Community College Advisors' Understandings And Uses Of Colorado Statewide Transfer Articulation Policy, Paul Eric Giberson
Dissertations
This interpretivist descriptive case study examines how community college academic advisors understand and use Colorado statewide transfer articulation policy (STAP) in their work with transfer students. Using systems theory to analyze data collected through 28 semi-structured individual interviews, document review, and field notes, I describe how academic advisors at a selected two-year institution understand and use STAP. The final product includes a rich and thick description of the findings presented through a systems theory framework. Among this study’s primary findings is that academic advisors’ understandings of STAP affects the ways they use articulation. Participants understand that STAP can improve advising …
Bayesian Approach Of Joint Models Of Longitudinal Outcomes And Informative Time, Adbullah Ahmed Zaagan
Bayesian Approach Of Joint Models Of Longitudinal Outcomes And Informative Time, Adbullah Ahmed Zaagan
Dissertations
Longitudinal studies are commonly encountered in a variety of research areas in which the scientific interest is in the pattern of change in a response variable over time. In longitudinal data analyses, a number of methods have been proposed. Most of the traditional longitudinal methods assume that the independent variables are the same across all subjects. It is commonly assumed that time intervals for collecting outcomes are predetermined and have no information regarding the measured variables. However, in practice, researchers might occasionally have irregular time intervals and informative time, which violate the above assumptions. Hence, if traditional statistical methods are …
An Examination Of Current Leadership Practices In Earlychildhood And Early Childhood Special Education: A Mixed Methods Study, Sara Movahedazarhouligh
An Examination Of Current Leadership Practices In Earlychildhood And Early Childhood Special Education: A Mixed Methods Study, Sara Movahedazarhouligh
Dissertations
Leadership is a vital component of any thriving system. Effective leadership is widely regarded as pivotal to the vitality of organizations. In early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) programs, strong leadership is particularly critical because directors and service providers are the gatekeepers of quality. Developing leadership among EC and ECSE professionals has become increasingly important as investing in EC education has been regarded as a public and private, national and international priority. However, the fields of EC and ECSE continue to struggle with the challenges of being overlooked when it comes to the leadership potentials, qualities, and …
Patterns And Perceptions Of Academic Librarian Deference Behavior: A Mixed Methods Study, Lyda Fontes Mccartin
Patterns And Perceptions Of Academic Librarian Deference Behavior: A Mixed Methods Study, Lyda Fontes Mccartin
Dissertations
Literature on academic librarians has indicated that academic librarians take a subservient role to disciplinary faculty and defer to disciplinary faculty in the context of information literacy instruction regardless of their own expertise (Downey, 2016; Julien & Pecoskie, 2009). This deferential relationship has not been explored in any meaningful way; thus, the behavior that is most negatively influencing librarian-disciplinary faculty relationships has been disregarded. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore academic librarian deference behavior in order to understand how the behavior manifests. Specifically, this study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design with the participant selection …
The Effects Of Disability Labeling On Teachers’ Referrals Of Twice-Exceptional Children To Gifted Programs In Saudi Arabia, Amra Abdulrahman Mohammad
The Effects Of Disability Labeling On Teachers’ Referrals Of Twice-Exceptional Children To Gifted Programs In Saudi Arabia, Amra Abdulrahman Mohammad
Dissertations
The issue of biases associated with labeling students as gifted or as having a disability presents a significant challenge to educational professionals with regard to identification and the provision of services. In the presence of labels indicating giftedness, disability, and twice exceptionality, research consistently demonstrated biases on the part of parents, teachers, and even other students. These biases could prevent students from receiving the services they need to achieve their fullest potential (Bianco & Leech, 2010). The current study systematically replicated a study by Bianco and Leech (2010) and examined the influence of disability labels on teachers’ decisions to refer …
Scandals In College Athletics: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of A College Basketball Scandal On The Admissions/Enrollment Management Process Of A University, Andrew Jacob Lail
Scandals In College Athletics: A Case Study Exploring The Impact Of A College Basketball Scandal On The Admissions/Enrollment Management Process Of A University, Andrew Jacob Lail
Dissertations
“Scandal is a phenomenon associated with sports both professional and collegiate. Virtually no sports are immune to scandal” (Prior et al., 2013, p. 189). Scandals in college athletics have become a topic of interest for the higher education community, arising over the last decade. High profile institutions are being publicly implicated and found guilty of transgressions that alter the way these universities are viewed. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the governing body of college athletic departments. This body regulates the actions of its members institutions by establishing specific regulations around recruiting, player interaction and many other facets of …
Exploring Counselor Educators’ Experiences With Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Pedagogy, Savannah Rose Cormier
Exploring Counselor Educators’ Experiences With Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Pedagogy, Savannah Rose Cormier
Dissertations
Human beings have been curious about the mysteries of the brain for centuries (Bear, Connors, & Paradiso, 2007). Modern advances in neuroscience technology and brain imaging techniques have allowed scientists to see the inner workings of the brains of living people, resulting in increased knowledge and understanding of how the brain functions and how learning occurs (Hardiman, 2012; Sousa, 2017). Findings from neuroscience research are rapidly being used to inform practices in fields such as education (Thomas, Ansari, & Knowland, 2018) and professional counseling (Beeson & Field, 2017; Field, Jones, & Russell-Chapin, 2017; Luke, Miller, & McAuliffe, 2019; Navalta, McGee, …
Coaching College Students To Thrive: Exploring Coaching Practices In Higher Education, Alicia Sepulveda
Coaching College Students To Thrive: Exploring Coaching Practices In Higher Education, Alicia Sepulveda
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to explore how trained, four-year success coaches perceive their coaching practice with students in higher education, particularly in the context of their meetings. While coaching programs have proliferated, little is known about coaching as a practice in higher education and it is difficult to generalize findings because professionals are ‘coaching’ in different ways. Some academic coaches in the field have stated they were given a title, but they are not ‘coaching’ (Sepulveda, 2017). Little is known about coaching as a practice, and this study will help to fill this gap. Taking a narrative approach, …
Growth Mindset For Incoming College Students, Erin Michelle Datteri-Saboski
Growth Mindset For Incoming College Students, Erin Michelle Datteri-Saboski
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine an educational psychology phenomenon called growth mindset and the influence it may have on first-generation college student transition as measured by first-semester GPA. I invited students attending the orientation first-generation workshop to participate in my study and had 308 participants. I systematically selected one-third of them to participate in a 35-minute intervention that taught them about growth mindset. Students in the control group participated in the session New Student Orientation had in place for years: a simple social-belonging intervention. My study found that students who participated in the control/social-belonging intervention had statistically …
The Roles Of Educational Leaders And Other Factors That Contribute To Successful Programs For English Learners, Abdulmohsen Ibrahim Alsliman
The Roles Of Educational Leaders And Other Factors That Contribute To Successful Programs For English Learners, Abdulmohsen Ibrahim Alsliman
Dissertations
Public schools in the United States have experienced a rise in the number of English language learners (ELLs). (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018). The ELLs across different states including Colorado schools underperform academically when compared to their peers (NCES, 2018). To close the achievement gap, it is important to understand how to create and sustain successful ELL programs at the elementary level. Therefore, the purpose of this non-experimental survey research was to identify the possible factors contributing to the success of ELL programs in elementary schools in the same school district and to explore the role administrators and …
If You Build It, Will They Come? An Autoethnographic Account Of Starting A School And Year One, Courtney Rae Luce
If You Build It, Will They Come? An Autoethnographic Account Of Starting A School And Year One, Courtney Rae Luce
Dissertations
This autoethnographic research was a qualitative analysis of the process of starting a school and running it in the first year. While this research explained some of the process, it is not a guidebook for starting schools. Instead, this narrative was meant to tell about the experience in order to inspire others in education to try something new or different. The significance of the research came from the need for a change in education and the power of narrative to inspire change. Using autoethnography as my methodology and reflection and layered accounts to tell the narrative, I explored the following …
Shifting Sands: The Art Of Ecological Place-Based Education, Emily Christine Bretl
Shifting Sands: The Art Of Ecological Place-Based Education, Emily Christine Bretl
Dissertations
Ecological place-based education is defined by the inextricable overlap of the places where society, politics, culture, and the environment meet in intricate and interdependent ways. It encompasses the development of the skills, knowledge, understanding, and characteristics that we need to live well on this earth and with one another. This research observed and evaluated the experiences, expectations, and practices of three traditionally minded teachers and the participant-researcher as they encountered and implemented ecological place-based education for the first time, in a new school. I used the methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship, and I applied an ecological aesthetic framework to …
Did You Take Care Of Everybody? Insights On Crisis Management From Senior Student Affairs Professionals, Matthew Lawrence Peterson Ricke
Did You Take Care Of Everybody? Insights On Crisis Management From Senior Student Affairs Professionals, Matthew Lawrence Peterson Ricke
Dissertations
This constructivist narrative study explored the experiences of five senior student affairs administrators who responded to an organizational crisis impacting their universities. Crisis management is a critical competency for higher education leaders (Peters, 2014) and involves the prevention, mitigation, and planning prior to a crisis; response and recovery during the crisis; and learning and changing following a crisis (Zdziarski, 2006). This study was guided by the research question: how do campus leaders at an institution of higher education (IHE) make meaning of a campus crisis event? Five participants, all of whom are senior student affairs professionals with extensive crisis management …
Implementing Social And Emotional Learning In Rural Colorado Schools: A Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Impetuses And Challenges, Jimmie Robert Charles Phillips
Implementing Social And Emotional Learning In Rural Colorado Schools: A Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Impetuses And Challenges, Jimmie Robert Charles Phillips
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to identify the circumstances of rural Colorado schools that impact SEL implementation. The research also sought to determine the relationship between impetus for implementation and levels of achieved implementation as well as the relationship between implementation challenges and achieved levels of implementation. A survey of 113 school leaders provided data about these relationships. The findings supported current literature about the difficulties of implementing SEL and about rural school challenges in general. The results indicate that leaders who observed best practices in SEL at the building-wide and classroom level also rated themselves as having higher …