Digital Commons Network^™

Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Title 1 And Non-Title 1 Schools, Jennifer E. Pangle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between student achievement and teacher perceptions of school climate. An additional purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions between Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. The final purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions of school climate among the schools according to overall student achievement. A series of Spearman’s Correlation analyses were used to analyze data to determine if there was a significant relationship between TVAAS composite …

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

A Closer Look At Eighth Grade Special Education Students Performance On High Stakes Testing: Examining The Compounding Effects Of Socioeconomic Status And Mobility Rate On Test Scores, Mary Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that the US spends millions of dollars on testing and instructional resources for students with exceptionalities (SWE) to participate on state tests, performance continues to be significantly below their general education peers. In an effort to determine if any additional factors may play a role in the performance discrepancy, two other factors, socio-economic status (SES) and mobility rate, were analyzed. Data from the Florida State Department of Education was used because of the public availability, the proposed generalizability of such a diverse state, and Florida being one of three states with the largest population of public education …

Addressing The Disparaity Of Outcomes For Economically Disadvantaged Students At Central Intermediate School: An Applied Research Study Related To The Implementation Of Avid Process, Steven Jarvis Hurdle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied action research study was to close the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged (ED) students and their non-disadvantaged peers (non-Ed) through the implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) system of processes. This study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to answer four core research questions. While the initial implementation of the plan failed to attain the targeted goal of closing the achievement, there were positive indicators for future success. ED students did appear to be effectively engaged with the AVID implementation. This engagement was validated through data about student participation in key AVID strategies, …

Measurement Of Online Student Engagement: Utilization Of Continuous Online Student Behaviors As Items In A Partial Credit Rasch Model, Elizabeth Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student engagement has been shown to be essential to the development of research-based best practices for K-12 education. It has been defined and measured in numerous ways. The purpose of this research study was to develop a measure of online student engagement for grades 3 through 8 using a partial credit Rasch model and validate the measure using confirmatory factor analysis. The dataset for this research study comprised approximately 20,000 online students in grades 3 through 8 from five different online schools. Two random samples of 10,000 students each were drawn for the measure development process and the validation of …

Academic Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, And Achievement Of Georgia Southern University Sophomore Students, John O. Lemay Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and their individual effects on student achievement are established factors that influence college students’ success. However, what is less clear are these variables’ relationships and their collective influence on achievement. Since students face unique trials as they persist through college, consideration of these relationships and their effect on the achievement of all students is necessary. There is a widening achievement gap between sexes; females have now passed males in enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Previous research in this area has been largely centered on undergraduate female students in their freshman year, but the …

The Effects Of Teacher-Set And Student-Set Accelerated Reader Goal Setting On Reading Comprehension And Student Attitudes Towards Reading In Fourth- And Fifth-Grade Students, Tiffany Gail Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to compare the impact of Teacher-Set Accelerated Reader goals (TSAR) with Student-Set Accelerated Reader goals (SSAR) of fourth- and fifth-grade students. The goal of this research study was to determine which type of goal setting approach influences reading growth the most as measured by the easyCBM assessment. Student attitudes towards reading were also examined. While the results of a logistic regression provided little support for the idea that student's or his/her teacher's choice of the student's ARgoals enhanced the student's chances of ARgoal attainment, other analyses suggested that the student's choosing had positive …

The Effects Of School Grade Span Configuration On Student Achievement In Middle School-Aged Children, Stacy Lancaster Starks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if transitioning from elementary school to middle school has an effect on value added scores of sixth graders versus those with no transition. Additionally, the effect of school size on student gains was examined.Data for this study was from the 2012-2013 school year for 442 Tennessee public schools. There were 203 schools with transition and 239 with no transition. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Significant interaction was seen between transition and percent minority (p = 0.002). These findings suggest transition had an effect on value added scores …

An Analysis Of The Initial Implementation Of Student-Led Conferences In A Rural Elementary School With Third-Grade Reading Students, Cheryl Yvonne Lambert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As school leaders intensify the focus on student-involvement in educational practices, student-led conferencing offers a viable alternative to traditional parent-teacher conferencing formats. This study examined the effects on student achievement as reported by universal screening scores along with the changes in perceptions of students, parents, and teachers regarding the initial implementation of student-led conferencing in a rural elementary school with third-grade reading students. The quantitative results offer additional data to the field of educational research which comprises limited evidence of this exploratory combination. The research questions addressed in this study include:Regarding universal screening scores for third-grade students in reading, is …

The Effects Of Homogeneous Differentiation On Reading Achievement: Within-Class Grouping Versus Between-Class Grouping, Sharon Suzanne Liddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, ex-post facto study was to determine through quantitative analysis of longitudinal data, the effects of homogeneous differentiation on reading achievement. Specifically, the study sought to determine the achievement differences in reading of students who were taught using a within-class grouping method or a between-class grouping method. The study population consisted on students from a Mississippi school district who began first grade from the 2006–2007 school year through the 2009–2010 school year. Students who had been assessed over a three-year on the DIBELS, STAR, and the MCT2 assessment were eligible for inclusion in the study. A …

A Study Of Black Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Academic Achievement Of Black Male Students In Elementary Schools In Rural Georgia, Marshall F. Aker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presently, numerous research studies, articles and reports have shown troubling outcomes regarding the education of Black male students in the United States (Darensbourg, Perez, & Blake, 2010; Lewis, Simon, Uzzell, Horwitz, & Casserly, 2010; Prager, 2011). The performance of Black males on national achievement assessments is lower in comparison to the performance of most other subgroups. The high school graduation rate for Black males in the United States is below most other ethnic subgroups (Schotts Foundation, 2015). Although various strategies are often implemented at the national, state, and local level in attempts to address achievement disparities, these efforts have not …

Factors That Impact End-Of-Course Assessments In Indiana Public, Non-Charter High Schools, Donald Edward Harman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between Indiana End-of-Course Assessments (ECA) in English 10 and Algebra I and the following indicators at the high school level: (a) socioeconomic status, (b) instructional expenditures per student, (c) attendance rate, (d) school size, (e) percentage of ELLs, (f) mobility rate, (g) minority rate, and (h) percentage of special education students. This study examined which indicators had the greatest effect on English 10 ECA scores and Algebra I ECA scores in Indiana. To expand the purpose of this study to a specific variable, the study also examined if …

An Exploratory Study On The Impact Of Mobile Wireless Technologies In A Teacher Education Classroom, Anupama Ghattu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mobile technology is revolutionizing the American higher education system. Integrating mobile technology into college classrooms is changing the teaching and learning process. Today’s millennial generation students are tech savvy and using their mobile devices to learn and explore in many possible ways. Mobile technology devices can be used as effective tools to enhance teaching and learning. The ubiquitous nature of these mobile devices with wireless capabilities makes learning possible instantly anywhere and everywhere with easy access to information for everyone. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of integrating mobile wireless technologies (MWT) on preservice teachers’ attitudes …

Ability Grouping In Elementary Education, Anna Kathryn Mccarter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ability grouping in education is a common practice used to differentiate instruction in order to meet the academic needs of students. The primary purpose for grouping students by ability is to increase their academic growth and achievement by providing instruction at the students’ current instructional level. However, there is much conflicting research regarding the impact of grouping students by ability and its link to student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between school-wide student achievement in grades 3, 4, and 5 based on the type of grouping: ability grouped or …

Impact Of Students' Perception Of Safety On Academic Success, Daniel Gittins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A student's perception of safety in a school will impact his or her academic achievement. If a student does not feel safe in a school, he or she will be distracted, and will have a diminished concentration span, lack of focus and increased anxiety, all of which will negatively impact his or her achievement and academic potential. It is important for educational leaders, therefore, to create cultures that are safe, welcoming, and conducive to a student's academic growth. To do this, educational leaders, at all levels of the school district--from district administrators, to building administrators, to teachers and other staff …

A Comparison Of Students' And Parents' Mathematics Attitudes And Achievement At A Private Historically Black University, Kristopher Childs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to compare students’ and their parents’ mathematical attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Instrument (ATMI). The sample consisted of 476 newly-enrolled students and 263 parents attending the New Student Orientation and Leadership program at a private historically black university. The sample was predominantly African American, with 96% of the students and 95% of the parents identifying themselves as African American. The ATMI total score and subscale scores of self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation were explored to determine if there was a relationship between the mathematics attitudes of students enrolled at a private historically black …

Class Size And Academic Achievement, Kristy Chandler Vandenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-phase, sequential mixed methods (QUAN-qual) approach was to analyze the relationship between class size and academic achievement in rural, economically disadvantaged third grade classrooms and how teachers perceive class size as affecting their instructional and classroom management methods. Data collection and analysis for the study involved 3,812 third grade students in 204 classrooms collected from nine rural, economically disadvantaged school districts in the southeastern region of Georgia. Additionally, a researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data from third grade teachers teaching in the same nine rural, economically disadvantaged school districts. Initial correlation analyses indicated a positive …

Investigating Gender Differences In Student Preferences For And Achievement With Educational Games, Damon A. Regan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the choice behavior and achievement of male and female high school students who are given an option of taking a 36 week American History course in either a game-based format or a web-based format. It was hypothesized that (a) males would enroll more frequently in the game-based course than females, (b) there would be no significant difference in achievement between males and females in the game-based course or across course formats, and (c) there would be no significant interaction between gender and the selection of course format. The study consisted of a …

Comparative Achievement Of Students In A Freshman Academy With Those Not In A Freshman Academy By Race And Gender In One East Tennessee High School., April Campbell Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement of students who participated in a freshman academy program to the achievement of those who participated in the traditional high school curriculum. The researcher used grade point average and composite ACT score as determinants of achievement. The population consisted of the graduating classes of 2009 and 2010 at one East Tennessee high school. Independent sample t tests evaluated the relationship between achievement and type of freshman experience. The independent variables were participation in the freshman academy, being male, being female, and race. The dependent variables were grade point average and …

Comparative Study Of Reading First Schools Reading Achievement To Non-Reading First Schools., Wandaleen Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any significant increase in the reading achievement of Reading First third grade students compared to the reading achievement of the third grade reading students in Non-Reading First schools located in southwest Virginia for 2004-2009. The Standards of Learning (SOLs) reading test scores were compiled from the Virginia Standards of Learning test scores that are available to the public from the Virginia Department of Education website. The elementary schools chosen for this study have a similar number of disadvantaged students and similar demographics. The reading achievement was being examined after …

An Examination Of Reading And Mathematic Achievement Among Second Grade Students Who Have Received Instruction From Either Teachers Who Have Been Trained In Choice Theory/Reality Therapy Methods Or Teachers Who Have Not Been Trained, Jane Virginia Hale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see if second grade students who were taught by teachers trained in choice theory/reality therapy (CT/RT) methods had higher achievement scores in mathematics/reading compared to students who were taught by teachers who were not trained. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model suggests that school counselors need to active in the systemic processes of the school to provide comprehensive services to a large number of students (ASCA, 2005). According to Hatch & Bowers (2002), the primary mission of school counselors is to support and encourage academic achievement. The intent of this study …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Factors That Influence Support For An Adequacy Model Of School Funding, Nancy L. Alex

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine teacher perceptions about the factors that influence support for an adequacy model of school funding and what relationships exist between specific demographic variables and those perceptions.

Using the instrument created for the study, one hundred thirty-nine teachers from the Montrose RE-1J School District where surveyed. Data was tabulated using standard descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages). As a general data analysis approach, bivariate comparisons were performed using Pearson correlations and t-tests for independent means. Multiple regression prediction equations were used to examine the relationships between specific demographics and teacher perceptions of the factors …

In Pursuit Of Sustained Achievement: A Case Study Of One At-Risk School's Efforts To Change Behaviors, Carol A. Sorvig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sustained achievement remains out of reach for most Title I schools. While there are many programs and examples of schools touting improved performance, there are precious few that are able to maintain that improved performance over time. This case study examined the characteristics of changes made at one Colorado Title I elementary school that did see improved growth for a period of four years. Two administrators, five teachers and two classified staff members were interviewed. Two of the staff members were also parents at the school. This study utilized a qualitative methodology to examine the changes made that lead to …

A Correlational Study Of The Avid Program With M.S. Math Achievement, David J. Peak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving student achievement in mathematics in secondary schools remains a priority for public education in our country. With continued federal and state mandates to improve overall student achievement in mathematics, as well as to close the achievement gap, many school districts have sought programs, such as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), to assist in improving student performance. The mission of AVID is to improve the academic achievement of students who are often in the "middle" or "average" and who are typically minorities and are economically disadvantaged. AVID seeks to support these students by providing them with the strategies that successful …

A Study Of Georgia Elementary Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Concerning Grade Level Retention, Anna Jean Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify Georgia elementary teachers' beliefs and practices of student grade-level retention. Overall, elementary teachers consider grade level retention to be an acceptable school practice to improve a student's academic success and that grade level retention also provides for long-term academic success. Georgia elementary teachers with master's degrees and above, teachers in suburban communities, teachers with more experience, and fourth grade teachers believe more strongly than elementary teachers with bachelor's degrees, teachers in rural and urban areas, and third and fifth grade elementary teachers, that students who do not meet academic standards should be …

The Effect Of Teacher Leader Interactions With Teachers On Student Achievement: A Predictive Study., Winifred Riney Cohron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research literature acknowledges the importance of teacher leadership in school reform initiatives. The literature is replete with qualitative studies describing the experience of teacher leadership in its variety of enactments. The meager amount of existing quantitative data suggests that teacher leadership may have no impact on student learning. This non-experimental, quantitative study examined the relationship between specific teacher leader interactions with teachers and student achievement. Using an online survey, participants responded to online survey questions about their interactions with teachers around five leadership constructs identified by Lambert (1998) and adapted by the researcher with permission from Dr. Lambert and the …

Go With The Flow: Examining The Effects Of Engagement Using Flow Theory And It's Relationship To Achievement And Performance, Karen Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Virtual Worlds have become an attractive platform for work, play, and learning. Businesses, including the public sector and academia, are increasingly investing their time, money, and attention to understanding the value of virtual worlds as a productivity tool. For example, educators are leading the way with research in Second Life, one of the more popular virtual worlds, as a potentially powerful medium for creating and delivering instruction. Still, little is empirically known about the value of virtual worlds as viable learning platforms. This study examined the instructional potential of Second Life for creating engaging activities, and to investigate the relationship …

Social And Emotional Factors And Achievement Patterns Amongst High Ability Learners, Jacquelynn Anne Truckey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that social and emotional factors play a very important role in the achievement levels of all learners and especially so for gifted populations. This qualitative multi-case study was designed to explore, with a sample of secondary level gifted students, their lived experiences and the influences that contribute to their learning success. The rationale for this study stems from the researcher's desire to discover ways to better support secondary gifted students and to help them find more engagement and passion in school.

The purposefully selected sample was composed of five students at the middle and high school levels who …

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Interaction On Student Motivation And Achievement, Tisome Nugent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to determine the value and impact of student-teacher interactions in relation to student motivation and achievement. It was further intended that the results of this study would add to the body of knowledge and resources available to enhance the learning experience and influence student success. In order for this to happen, student and teacher perceptions of their interactions were analyzed, as well whether or not this interaction significantly impacted motivation and achievement. The results of this study provided strong arguments in favor of equipping teachers with the appropriate resources and assistance to appropriately meet …

Leadership Behaviors That Improved Student Achievement In Three Selected Georgia High Schools, Cynthia Freeman-Smalls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership behaviors that improved student achievement in three selected Georgia high schools. The participants were chosen based on successfully achieving adequate yearly progress (AYP) during 2005-2006 school years, as outlined by the Georgia Department of Education. Fifteen leaders from three Georgia high schools were interviewed to examine their roles in improving student achievement. Research protocol questions guided the interview to capture the essence of the work of leaders. Each participant answered seven questions derived from the review of literature to identify the leaders behavior that improved student achievement. The qualitative, phenomenological …