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Performance Assessment For Quality Teaching: Three Critical Variables For Measuring And Improving Teaching And Learning, Kathleen L. Gallagher Phd
Performance Assessment For Quality Teaching: Three Critical Variables For Measuring And Improving Teaching And Learning, Kathleen L. Gallagher Phd
Dissertations
While outstanding teachers are any school system's most important investment, assessing the quality of instructional practice has proven to be an ongoing challenge for the profession. Despite assertions that effective teachers are the single most important school-related factor responsible for increased learning, no teacher's employment is dependent on their performance in the classroom or the quality of instruction that they provide. This problem has fueled a growing mistrust in school districts nationwide, specifically in the area of teacher evaluation. One possible explanation is that the profession lacks the scaled level of expertise needed to evaluate instruction consistently and in a …
Data-Driven Decision Making: Teachers' Use Of Data In The Classroom, Tammy Wu Moriarty Phd
Data-Driven Decision Making: Teachers' Use Of Data In The Classroom, Tammy Wu Moriarty Phd
Dissertations
Data-driven decision making has become an important educational issue in the United States, primarily because of federal and state emphasis on school accountability and achievement. Data use has been highlighted as a key factor in monitoring student progress and informing decision making at various levels of the education system. Federal and state policies require educators to use data to inform decision making and the assumption is that educators already know how to analyze, interpret, and use data to make informed decisions. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of classroom teachers' engagement in data-driven decision making …
An Investigation Of The Effects Of Writing Instruction In An Ungraded Informal Learning Environment, Samuel Patterson Edd
An Investigation Of The Effects Of Writing Instruction In An Ungraded Informal Learning Environment, Samuel Patterson Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate and describe the teaching of writing in an informal setting through the voices of teachers and students. The intent of this study was to describe the roles of teachers and students in this learning environment and specifically to describe the role of writing response groups in this environment. Research in both writing instruction and informal education suggests that writing instruction is a good contextual match to camp-style informal education. Both informal education and writer's workshop-style writing instruction put the individual and their choices at the center of the experience. VI This …
The Relationship Between Reading Fluency, Writing Fluency, And Reading Comprehension In Suburban Third-Grade Students, Mary Leonard Palmer Edd
The Relationship Between Reading Fluency, Writing Fluency, And Reading Comprehension In Suburban Third-Grade Students, Mary Leonard Palmer Edd
Dissertations
The topic of reading fluency is of great importance in education today. Research has shown a significant positive relationship between reading fluency and reading comprehension. However, little is known about writing fluency and its connection with reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between reading fluency, writing fluency, and reading comprehension. First, using the principles of assessing reading fluency, I designed a writing assessment and measured the writing fluency of 54 3rd graders. I examined the writing assessments as they related to the students' reading fluency and reading comprehension scores. Secondly, I performed a quasi-experimental …
Examining Professional Development At The Organizational Level Through The Lens Of Teachers And Administrators, Lori Kelsey Edd
Examining Professional Development At The Organizational Level Through The Lens Of Teachers And Administrators, Lori Kelsey Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this evaluative case study was to explore teachers' and administrators' perceptions of the organizational capacity during an initial implementation of a systemic change in professional development at a K-8 school. Educational reform acts such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 pressure public school systems to increase student achievement. School district personnel abide by making systemic changes in professional development. For organizations to make such systemic changes, first the culture must change. In an era of ongoing educational reform, it remains important to continually build upon the evidentiary body of literature so that the nation's …
Examining The Role Of Meaning-Making And Cultural Competence In How Teachers Understand And Approach Their Work With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students, Sarina Chugani Molina Edd
Examining The Role Of Meaning-Making And Cultural Competence In How Teachers Understand And Approach Their Work With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students, Sarina Chugani Molina Edd
Dissertations
The tapestry of classrooms today is transforming into a mosaic of colors, languages, and backgrounds. As the population of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students continues to rise, a deeper understanding of how teachers construct meaning and understand their internal and relational experiences when working with these students has become an important area to examine. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' meaning-making systems and their cultural competence as it relates to their work with CLD students. Kegan (1982, 1994) provides a constructive developmental lens, which was used in this study, to understand how …
Academic Achievement Of Students In A Charter Homeschool, Mary A. Leeds Edd
Academic Achievement Of Students In A Charter Homeschool, Mary A. Leeds Edd
Dissertations
A recent development in education is the public charter school as a homeschool model. In several states across the nation, a child may enroll in an independent study program of a public charter school and base his or her studies in the home. This model in the realm of education is called charter homeschool. The state of California has over 120 operating charter homeschools, also known as independent study programs or non-classroom based charter schools. The delivery of instruction from non-classroom based programs has begun to challenge traditional definitions of public schooling. The increased state accountability demands of student academic …
Academic Writing And The Pedagogical Practices Of Effective Teachers, Thomas Devere Wolsey Edd
Academic Writing And The Pedagogical Practices Of Effective Teachers, Thomas Devere Wolsey Edd
Dissertations
Composition, particularly when academic register is required, is a complex task. Because cognitive flexibility theory explains how humans can spontaneously restructure knowledge and adapt to situational demands, it is ideally suited to the ill-structured domain of transactional writing. Global aspects related to paragraph and whole-text structure and local operations related to word and sentence-level features define academic writing. A mixed-methods design used quantitative methods for investigation of five corpora of 10th grade students' work. Qualitative methods were used to explore the means teachers used in promoting academic writing and the interactions they intended to promote via teaching cues, including prompts. …
Teachers' Beliefs About The Factors That Support Successful Second Language Acquisition Of Elementary School Students, Joann M. Mcdonald Edd
Teachers' Beliefs About The Factors That Support Successful Second Language Acquisition Of Elementary School Students, Joann M. Mcdonald Edd
Dissertations
Second language acquisition has increased in importance in elementary schools throughout the United States due, in part, to the growing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) as well as an economic and social demand for native English speakers to learn world languages. The purpose of this study was to investigate elementary teachers' beliefs regarding the factors that contribute to successfully learning a second language, whether students are ELLs learning English as a new language or English speakers learning a new language. More specifically, this study compared the opinions of elementary teachers of successful ELLs with teachers of English speakers successfully …
Asian American Children's Literature: A Qualitative Study Of Cultural Authenticity, Virginia S. Loh Edd
Asian American Children's Literature: A Qualitative Study Of Cultural Authenticity, Virginia S. Loh Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze Asian-American children's trade books in terms of their cultural authenticity and to examine the perceptions of producers (authors) and consumers (teachers) as related to the cultural authenticity of such books. I wanted to understand the role of Asian-American children's trade books in research and classroom practice and also to understand the perspectives and preconceptions of these producers and consumers. By conducting this qualitative study on the cultural authenticity of Asian-American children's trade books, I hoped to fill a gap in the current discourse knowledge which does not adequately include the Asian-American …
Factors That Motivate Or Discourage Movement Into School Leadership Positions And The Implications For Recruitment Policy And Practice, Ginger Lee Blackmon Edd
Factors That Motivate Or Discourage Movement Into School Leadership Positions And The Implications For Recruitment Policy And Practice, Ginger Lee Blackmon Edd
Dissertations
Public schools in the United States are facing one of the most extensive transformations in school leadership. Districts face the difficult challenge of recruiting and training school leaders who have the capacity to deal with the growing demands and responsibilities placed on school site administrators. Despite a surplus of people certified for administration, the changing demands of the principal's job precipitated by national reform efforts have left a shortage not only of qualified applicants, but also in the total number of applicants (qualified and unqualified) willing to carry the burden of the job. This study investigated the factors that influence …
Teachers' Perceptions Of A 360-Degree Feedback Process, Catriona Collins Moran Edd
Teachers' Perceptions Of A 360-Degree Feedback Process, Catriona Collins Moran Edd
Dissertations
In recent years, the 360° feedback process, which originated in the business world in the 1980s, has been increasingly used for the purpose of teacher evaluation. When this is done, feedback from peers, parents and students, as well as teacher self-reflection and student achievement data, are used in addition to more traditional evaluation strategies. Despite its growing popularity, however, there have been very few published studies about the impact of the 360° feedback process in the business world and even fewer in the field of education. The overarching purpose of this qualitative study was to discover teachers' perceptions of a …
Investigating Professional Development In Technology For Literacy Teachers, Michanne Hoctor Edd
Investigating Professional Development In Technology For Literacy Teachers, Michanne Hoctor Edd
Dissertations
Citrus Heights (a pseudonym) School District is an award-winning exemplar of technology integration. This small urban district has focused its resources on the re-design of its K-8 classrooms and curriculum to support educational reform through the use of technology, including hardware, software, and teacher professional development. Current best practices suggest that while staff development may begin with conventional in-service training, it should move quickly beyond to efforts that support teachers’ development as professionals involved in decision-making, inquiry, and leadership in their classroom teaching. In order to develop as professionals, teachers specifically need help and support in integrating new knowledge and …
Personalization For English Learners At A Small Conversion High School, Mary Jewell Edd
Personalization For English Learners At A Small Conversion High School, Mary Jewell Edd
Dissertations
One of the most notable ways in which large, comprehensive high schools are working to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs), and other students who may be struggling with academics, is by subdividing into smaller schools. One of the most appealing features of small schools is their emphasis on personalized instruction for students. While it takes many forms, personalizing education means knowing all students well and designing curriculum that meets their individual needs. Personalized learning environments hold enormous potential for improving the educational experiences, and even very lives, of English learners. The purpose of …
To Be Or Not To Be: Status Of Guam's Middle Schools, Judith T. Won Pat Edd
To Be Or Not To Be: Status Of Guam's Middle Schools, Judith T. Won Pat Edd
Dissertations
In an effort to help middle school programs respond to the unique developmental needs of their students, in 1995 the National Middle School Association issued their influential list of twelve essential characteristics for a developmentally sound middle school. Although this paper spawned a significant amount of research regarding the importance of these essential characteristics, there has been little, if any, research in the last decade describing the extent to which these characteristics have been implemented in middle schools outside of the continental United States. To remedy this situation, this study surveyed all 471 middle school teachers on Guam as well …
Avid Program Graduates: Negotiating The First Year Of College, Leslie J. Hays Edd
Avid Program Graduates: Negotiating The First Year Of College, Leslie J. Hays Edd
Dissertations
Although the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program has been operating in San Diego County for more than twenty years, there was a lack of research investigating how AVID program graduates experienced the transition to college. A well-established positive correlation between acceptances to four-year universities by AVID program graduates exists, but research on AVID lacked individual student narrative needed to give more depth to the data. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the transition experiences of AVID program graduates who were beginning their second year of college at competitive four-year public universities. All eight participants, in the …
Nobody's Ever Asked Me That Before: Middle School Students Talk About Motivation To Achieve In School Contexts, Erika Daniels Edd
Nobody's Ever Asked Me That Before: Middle School Students Talk About Motivation To Achieve In School Contexts, Erika Daniels Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to explore whether or not a connection exists between students' school contexts and their academic and social choices by listening to the voices of first year middle school students. The intent of this study was to provide teachers with a way to reconceptualize adolescents as learners. Research suggests that there are two distinct approaches to the study of motivation. Some researchers believe that motivation can be externally enacted through exams, assessments, and other accountability measures. Other researchers believe that motivation is internally generated through the relationships students build, through their beliefs about learning, and …
An Examination Of Teachers’ Beliefs About Critical Reading And Academic Writing, Cindi Davis Harris Edd
An Examination Of Teachers’ Beliefs About Critical Reading And Academic Writing, Cindi Davis Harris Edd
Dissertations
The ability to compose a well-written research paper is evidence o f a student's ability to read critically and write academically. However, evidence suggests that many college-bound high school graduates have not learned these skills. While the research literature overwhelmingly supports the notion that teachers are an important factor in students’ academic success, and that in order to be academically successful, students need to have critical reading and writing skills, there has been little research about how teachers' beliefs and knowledge about critical reading and academic writing influence instruction with regard to these skills. This naturalistic case study employed in-depth …
Job Satisfaction, Leadership Styles, And Teaching Practices Among Cnmi Public Elementary School Teachers, Charles J. Algaier Edd
Job Satisfaction, Leadership Styles, And Teaching Practices Among Cnmi Public Elementary School Teachers, Charles J. Algaier Edd
Dissertations
This study investigated whether teacher leadership styles and teaching practices influenced teacher job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The study answered the following questions: (1) what is the level of job satisfaction among public elementary school teachers in the CNMI; (2) to what extent do CNMI teachers fall into the personal leadership style categories of transactional or transformational; (3) to what extent do CNMI public school teachers prefer either didactic or constructivist teaching practices; (4) to what extent do demographic factors, preferred leadership styles, and preferred teaching practices affect the degree …
Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd
Instructional Leadership In Guam's Public Elementary Schools, Evangeline Quitugua San Nicolas Edd
Dissertations
This study explored the current instructional leadership behaviors of elementary principals in Guam as perceived by the principals and teachers, and examined their perceptions on which instructional leadership functions should be shared or delegated in schools. The Principals' Instructional Management Rating Scale, developed by Dr. Phillip Hallinger and modified by the researcher, was used to gather data for this study. Four hundred eighty teachers (53%) and eighteen principals (81%) in Guam's public elementary schools participated, and there was no evidence of non-response bias. From this study, findings revealed that both principals and teachers shared the same perceptions regarding their principals' …
A Study Of Technology Implementation In Two School Districts: The Dynamics Of Leadership And Change, Rebecca D. Gillespie Edd, Ma, Ba
A Study Of Technology Implementation In Two School Districts: The Dynamics Of Leadership And Change, Rebecca D. Gillespie Edd, Ma, Ba
Dissertations
This qualitative case study investigated the role administrative leadership plays in organizational change related to the infusion of technology into district programs and pedagogical practices. School districts have been engaged in a struggle to incorporate new generations of technological advancements in meaningful ways for their students. Instructional reform and measurable performance-based outcomes are frequently conflated with the pressure to implement effective technology programs that ensure the No Child Left Behind federal mandates are met while ensuring judicious use of district funds. While technology has the potential to transform the educational process, it must align with the cultural uniqueness of the …
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Examining An Observation-Based Model Of Professional Development For Teachers, Donna M. Marriott Edd
Dissertations
Public education is undergoing a process of reculturation prompted by standards-based reform initiatives. Student content standards suggest fundamental changes in the way teachers, schools, and districts think about and do their work. These substantive reform efforts require a parallel reorganization in professional development processes. Traditional models that rely on episodic, large-scale workshops are insufficient to support teachers to meet the demands of a standards-driven system. San Diego City Schools has developed an innovative approach to teacher training that is context and situation specific. The observation-based model of professional development utilizes a unique training environment and process. A fully functioning classroom …
Exploring Teachers' Experiences With The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, Emily M. Schell Edd
Exploring Teachers' Experiences With The Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute, Emily M. Schell Edd
Dissertations
This qualitative study explored the experiences of ten teachers who participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute (CWTI) during an 11-year period. The researcher used in-depth interviewing to identify why these teachers participated in this institute, what they experienced and learned during the institute, and how the institute influenced their teaching as well as student learning of early American history. The participants in this study identified similar reasons for applying to the institute, which included a desire to gain more knowledge and skills to improve their teaching of early American history. Seven themes emerged as participants described their experiences during …
Collaborative Leadership In Middle Schools And Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Search For Relationships, A. Greg Bowden Edd
Collaborative Leadership In Middle Schools And Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Search For Relationships, A. Greg Bowden Edd
Dissertations
This correlational study examined the relationship between the leadership practiced by middle school principals and the job satisfaction reported by their teachers. Data were collected from 10 middle school principals who completed a demographic survey and the Principal Leadership Survey-Self (PLS-S). Data were also collected from 183 teachers who completed a demographic survey, the Principal Leadership Survey-Other (PLS-O), the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES), and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Sub scale scores from the PLS-O and the SPES were used to measure collaborative leadership. Telephone interviews were conducted with nine of the teachers who reported the highest degree of …
A Model Health-Related Elementary Physical Education Program For Saipan: Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Kurt C. Barnes Edd
A Model Health-Related Elementary Physical Education Program For Saipan: Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Kurt C. Barnes Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to determine if there was significant differences in changes of knowledge, attitudes, and practices between elementary school teachers who took part in an in-service physical education training program and those who did not take part. The in-service training program utilized a model health-related physical education program. The setting for the study was a school district on Saipan whose teachers were required to teach physical education. Teachers in five of nine public elementary schools were placed in the in-service training program. A questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices, was administrated as a pre- and post-test. …
First Nations Students: What Some Teachers Do That Make Them Successful, Robert M. Peacock Edd
First Nations Students: What Some Teachers Do That Make Them Successful, Robert M. Peacock Edd
Dissertations
With the European settlement of North America, the education of First Nations children shifted from being carried out in a natural setting by all community members, communicated through observation and trial, and instructed through values, needs, and traditions; to a whole-group learning model founded on a standard curriculum based on successes and failures. For at least the past fifty years First Nations adults have demanded greater control over their children's education. Recently, the Ministry of Education in British Columbia (BC) has advocated for greater success of First Nations students by providing funding for additional support and by increasing the number …
School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd
School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd
Dissertations
In 1994, the Government of Alberta, Canada, instituted major fiscal measures designed to reduce operating costs and a large provincial debt. In tandem, Alberta Education restructured public education by: reducing the number of school districts, redefining the role of school boards, increasing the involvement of parents, initiating Charter schools, expanding student testing, downsizing Alberta Education, improving delivery of services to children, and mandating the implementation of school-based management in all public schools (Alberta Education News Release, January 18, 1994). The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the implementation of school-based management, through the first three …
The Effects Of Teachers' Flow Experiences On The Cognitive Engagement Of Students, Nian Q. Zhu Edd
The Effects Of Teachers' Flow Experiences On The Cognitive Engagement Of Students, Nian Q. Zhu Edd
Dissertations
The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' flow experiences and student cognitive engagement during class time. Study participants consisted of students and their teachers in grades 6 through 10 from a number of elementary and secondary schools in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. Data were collected through the use of the Experience-Sampling Method, originally developed by Csikszentmihalyi to investigate flow experiences, that allowed teachers and students to fill out sampling forms in response to randomly generated electronic signals transmitted to pagers or wrist watches that the teachers wore. Data were collected …
Teacher Portfolios In The Supervision Process: A Journey Of Discovery, Halyna M. Kornuta Edd
Teacher Portfolios In The Supervision Process: A Journey Of Discovery, Halyna M. Kornuta Edd
Dissertations
Facilitating the personal and professional growth of teachers is a very effective way to positively impact students' self-esteem, skills development, and behavior. Certain professional development strategies, for example, developmental supervision, enable teachers to plan for their own growth. Developmental supervision is a nonevaluative approach to providing feedback that meets individual needs of teachers. The process utilizes research in the areas of professional development, teacher supervision, and adult learning. Portfolio projects could be a component of developmental supervision. However, there is minimal empirical research to support the use of portfolio projects in nonevaluative supervision. The purpose of this qualitative study was …
A Cross-Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Program Design And Teaching Efficacy: The Seaview Reading Support Program, Susan L. Bowers Smith Edd
A Cross-Case Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Program Design And Teaching Efficacy: The Seaview Reading Support Program, Susan L. Bowers Smith Edd
Dissertations
Teachers at Seaview Elementary School developed an innovative reading support program delivered by classroom teachers to increase the achievement of children who struggled to read literature in the district's core curriculum. Although studies of the program's impact on student achievement indicated that many of the children who received services in the classroom were able to fluently read grade level materials and improve their scores on standardized tests, issues created by the additional burden of this instruction on some teachers prevented the integration of the program into other grade levels and schools in the Seaview School District and Seaview Elementary School. …