Digital Commons Network^™

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In A Texas School District With A Predominance Of Hispanic Staff And Students, Corina C. Saenz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of conducting this qualitative descriptive study on professional learning communities in a South Texas public school district was to see if they are meaningful and structured to support the improvement of student success in the classroom as well as providing the support and steps outlined in an effective professional learning community. The study focused on the skill level implemented by the teachers, administrators, and other members of the committee to communicate, access the personal skills to collaborate with peers, and utilize the data for student achievement. This study sought to gain and understand the perceptions of department heads, …

Supports And Services To Improve Academic Success Of High School Student Athletes, Samuel G. Nichols

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether supports and services offered in various study hall programs (Traditional, Objective Based, and/or Objective Based +) at the high school level to help student athletes be academically successful in terms of achieving a minimum GPA of 2.0 or above. Basketball programs were used for this study because it is a major sport in the school district in which the data were collected. Data were sought via questionnaires of chosen participants via convenience sampling from eight eligible high school athletic directors in one school district in Georgia. This study called for the …

Increasing Mathematics Proficiency And Growth Through Focused, Data-Driven, Professional Learning, Joye Camille Cullen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I aimed to improve elementary teachers’ mathematical instruction by enhancing their content knowledge and skills through the implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) and professional development. The research design consisted of multiple evaluation steps conducted over time with a collaborative action plan the leadership team, mathematics specialist, and teachers developed. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from participating classrooms and were analyzed at different phases of the program evaluation.

The scope of the study addressed the lack of content knowledge among elementary teachers, which led to gaps in instruction and difficulties in explaining to students advanced mathematical …

Case Study: Principal Knowledge, Principal Practice, And Student Achievement, Maritza Olivarez Braxton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A school principal is a critical asset to the success of a campus, teachers, and students. Their role is and will continue to be complex with many responsibilities and challenges. Researchers have implied a disconnect between the level of a principal’s practice to their knowledge in the production of student success. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to reveal a deeper understanding of the theory-to practice gap between the professional practices of high school principals and their knowledge. This study attempted to answer the what, how, and why to help establish foundational information for improving and creating ongoing …

Parental Support And Online Sixth-Grade Students’ Academic Performance: A Survey Research, Tiffany Ann Nayar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing popularity of full-time virtual schools, too many students have not found success. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore the relationship between parental involvement and online middle school students’ academic performance at one public online school in the southern United States. The research question asked if there was a relationship between parental involvement in the form of encouragement, modeling, reinforcement, and instruction and sixth-grade students’ academic performance assessed through GPA in an online K-12 public school. The null hypothesis stated there was no statistically significant relationship between parental involvement and students’ academic performance. Data …

The Impact Of A 1:1 Technology Initiative On Student Achievement In 10th Grade English Language Arts In A South Texas Public School District, Lois E. Marshall Barker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the implementation of a south Texas public school district’s 1:1 technology initiative to determine the impact on 10th grade English Language Arts student achievement. A mixed method approach was used for this exploratory case study. Multicase sampling was implemented to identify participants. Qualitative data were collected through virtual video conference interviews and analyzed to reflect five emerging themes: lack of quality professional development, teacher efficacy, leadership attitudes toward the initiative, misconceptions about student attitudes and technology skillset, and lack of communication between district administration campus stakeholders. Quantitative data were collected through the CBAM SoCQ and archival campus …

Math Achievement Of Low-Socioeconomic Status Students: A Comparative Study Of Public-School Settings, Alexander Ohene Ansah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, falling standards in the American public-school system have elicited public concern and criticism, leading to several public-school reforms. One such reform is the charter-school movement. Charter schools provide a public option for parents in search of an alternative to traditional public schools. At the same time, the achievement gap continues to widen, with students of low socioeconomic status on the losing end. Since the beginning of the charter school movement, research has focused on comparisons in achievement between students in charters and traditional public schools. Results have been mixed.

Focusing on low-SES student populations in Colorado, this …

Professional Learning Community: Perspectives Of Rural School Teachers And Leaders, Brenda Olivia Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed rural school administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions about the implementation and participation in professional learning communities (PLC) to impact teacher growth, increase student achievement, and improve instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of rural administrators and teachers about PLCs within a rural West Texas school district. Research protocols were polished through a pilot study group that provided input to refine the survey and interview questions. The researcher administered a survey for all participants, conducted a one-on-one interview with administrators, and interviewed teachers in focus groups. Findings indicated that collaboration, implementation factors, and …

Center For Teaching And Learning Impact On Adjunct Job Satisfaction: Examining Their Lived Experiences, Winsome S. Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adjunct faculty have become a significant part of the collegiate workforce in times of financial constraints; however, they are not supported like their full-time counterparts and have lower career and job satisfaction. Some institutions have responded to the increase in dependence on adjuncts by developing support systems in the form of teaching and learning centers. This phenomenological case study’s purpose was to explore the lived experiences of adjunct faculty using a center for teaching and learning (CTL) and explore the impacts the CTL has on adjunct job satisfaction. A purposive sample of six adjunct faculty, two CTL leaders, and one …

The Relationship Between Co-Teaching Partnerships And Student Achievement, Tikki N. Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to legislative mandates schools are required to educate SWDs in the least restrictive environment alongside SWODs, which lead to the rise of co-teaching. However, enhancing the quality of co-teaching partnerships to impact student achievement poses a challenge for many school leaders due to the absence of quantitative data involving the impact of co-teaching on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify correlations among the qualities of co-teaching partnerships in grades six through eight as measured by The Colorado Assessment of Co-teaching (CO-ACT), and student growth percentiles from Spring 2019 Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) data in middle …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement, Teacher Effectiveness, Merit Pay, And Selective Teacher Demographics In A Rural School District, Jill Webb Faulkner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher merit pay has become popular among policymakers to meet accountability mandates related teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Legislation at the federal level has provided grants and financial incentives to state and local districts to implement merit pay plans. In 2013, Tennessee required all districts to develop a differentiated compensation plan by revising an earlier differentiated compensation policy from 2008. With more rigorous standards and testing at the forefront of education reform in Tennessee, the rural school district in this study developed a strategic compensation plan with bonus pay based on student test scores as one of the components. The …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Teacher Perception Of Greens Four-Dimensional Model Of Principal Leadership And The Academic Achievement Of Secondary Students, Stephanie Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between student achievement assessed longitudinally in terms of ACT composite scores and state-mandated tests of proficiency and the perceived extent to which high schools have implemented Greens four-dimensional model of educational leadership.Four scales with five items each were used to measure each dimension of Greens model. The items for each dimension originated as responses to twenty items on the 2013 administration of the Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning survey in Tennessee (TELL Tennessee). School-level means at 248 high schools were found for each scale that was proposed to measure each …

Teachers' Role In Assisting Principals Improve Student Learning Through Formative Assessment, Ingrid Alecia Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The different reform initiatives, which ushered in the accountability movement, were authorized to increase the responsibility of student learning in an effort to close achievement gaps and improve the education of all students. Thus, assessments have become the driving force for determining students' learning outcomes in meeting accountability requirements. Nevertheless, principals and teachers realized that assessments used only to measure the totality of student learning are not enough to address the diverse academic needs of all students. They also need formative assessment. Teachers' use of formative assessment can assist principals by generating classroom and team-based data for student achievement that …

A Correlational Study Of The Georgia School Board Association's Board Recognition Program And Student Achievement, Holly E. Rutledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of school boards in American public education has been intensely debated for well over a century (Johnson, 2013). A broad variety of research on school boards exists, ranging from the topic of school board elections, to board member leadership styles, and to decision making processes. Much less research exists, however, on the impact of school boards on student achievement, even though school boards are increasingly targeted as one of the main reasons for poor student achievement (Jacobsen & Linkow, 2014). Johnson (2013) contends there is a growing body of evidence that indicates school boards play a critical role …

An Analysis Of The Effects Of School Climate On School Annual Yearly Progress, Fatima K. Ferguson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With increasing pressures to improve student performance, schools are in need of ways to positively affect student achievement. The concept of organizational health, which includes academic emphasis, teacher affiliation, resource support, administrative leadership, and institutional integrity, offers educators an opportunity to gauge the climate of their building and in turn positively affect academic outcomes. Using Hoy and Tarter's (1997) concept of organizational health in elementary schools as a conceptual framework, this study undertook a quantitative approach to examine the relationship between school climate factors and student achievement gains and decreases using Independent t-tests. Quantitative analyis revealed a significant relationship between …

A Study Of The Impact Of Brevard Public School's Peer Coaching Model On Student Achievement Outcomes And Teacher Evaluation Results, Debra Pace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of a sustained professional development initiative, Brevard's Peer Coaching Model, on improving teacher performance and student achievement in a large Central Florida school district. The study analyzed professional practices scores and value-added scores for teachers who participated in a minimum of six of nine days of professional learning before the study, after year one of the training, and after year two of the training to evaluate growth in professional practices and student achievement, and also compared the scores of BPCM participants to the scores of teachers who did not participate in the study. The findings …

An Evaluation Of Student Achievement Before And After Training In Response To Instruction In A Rural School District, Caroline T. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to provide research in examining the difference in student achievement in reading and math through the quantitative data collection of North Carolina EOG scores for students in third through fifth grade from one high poverty and high performing North Carolina public school district before and after implementation of RtI. The population of this study included all students in the public school system who participated in EOG testing during the 2009-2012 school years in grades 3-5. Data collection was carried out using the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Testing and Accountability website to …

Exploring The Relationship Between Professional Development And Student Achievement, Tamora Lashawn Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between professional development and student achievement by addressing three major standards of professional learning: content, process, and context. This study included 276 teachers from 28 middle schools. Data from this study was gathered using the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) survey instrument designed by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) and publicly available achievement data from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), a criterion-referenced achievement test. The Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) was used to examine teachers' perceptions of professional development at the school level.The overall purpose of this study was …

A Comparative Analysis Of Top Performing Countries In Eighth Grade Mathematics As Measured By 2011 Trends In International Mathematics And Science Study, Courtney Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to shed light on factors contributing to global international rankings in mathematics released by the 2011 administration of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. This study focused on factors contributing to the global ranking of international scores in mathematics. Although students in the United States performed below students in the other sample countries (Singapore, Japan, and the Republic of Korea), American students scored within one standard deviation of the top performer, the Republic of Korea. The study also revealed that although other countries had their brightest and most advantaged students participate in …

A Comparative Study Of The Effect Of Block Scheduling And Traditional Scheduling On Student Achievement For The Florida Algebra 1 End-Of-Course Examination, Arthur Underwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was on the effect of school schedules on student achievement for ninth-grade students in a Florida school district. Data were collected from two central Florida high schools from the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years. Five one-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to ascertain if there was any interaction between school schedules and student achievement. Examined were the interactions (a) between schedule and schools, (b) schedule and male students, (c) schedule and female students, (d) schedule and Black students, and (e) schedule and Hispanic students. The independent variable, school schedule, consisted of two levels: traditional …

Multiple-Case Study And Exploratory Analysis Of The Implementation Of Value-Added Teacher Performance Assessment On Eighth Grade Student Achievement In Ohio, Pennsylvania, And Tennessee, James Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to analyze the academic impact of the implementation of the Value Added Assessment Model. The researcher analyzed the Value Added Assessment Models in the three Value Added Assessment Model states that had implemented the Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years. Additionally, the research was done by analyzing the academic impact as measured by the eighth grade reading NAEP and the eighth grade mathematics NAEP. The researcher paired the three states that had implemented Value Added Assessment Model for more than five years, with three demographically matched states that had not implemented …

A Comparison Of Teachers' Beliefs Of The Use Of Inquiry Teaching, Origin Of Knowledge Of Inquiry Teaching, And Student Achievement Between International Baccalaureate And Non-International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Schools, Lucy Haddock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of improving student achievement is of paramount interest to all public schools. The focus of this research was to determine the difference between inquiry based teaching strategies and student achievement. Additionally, the researcher investigated the origin of inquiry based teaching knowledge and International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP) affiliation. IBPYP affiliation was studied due to the nature of the IBPYP as an inquiry based philosophy of teaching. The McGill Strategic Demands of Inquiry Questionnaire (MSDIQ) was used to determine teacher beliefs of inquiry based teaching strategies. Student achievement was measured using Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) …

Building Educator Capacity In Support Of Student Achievement On Florida's United States History End-Of-Course Assessment, Stacy Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florida's United States History End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment performance outcomes are scheduled to impact student course grades, educator evaluation scores, and school grades. A professional learning plan to improve teaching and learning in support of student achievement on the Assessment does not exist. Neither Florida Statute nor the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) facilitate or fund professional learning in support of these influences. This dissertation in practice proposes the use of the U.S. History EOC Assessment Professional Learning Series to build educator capacity in support of student achievement on the Assessment. Implementation of professional learning could address the disparity between the …

How High School Size Configuration Affects Student Achievement In The State Of Florida, Donald Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study was conducted to determine if there were any statistically significant differences in student achievement as measured by the 10th-grade Reading and Mathematics Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) at the school level between the configurations of high schools, controlling for the percentage of minority population and SES. A total of 259 large public high schools within Florida were used in the study; 149 traditional schools and 110 large schools using small learning communities. Because prior researchers have indicated that the number of low SES students and the percentage of minority students can have an effect on student achievement, these …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …

Mathematics Curriculum Coaching And Elementary School Students’ Mathematics Achievement In A Northeast Tennessee School System, Evandro R. Valente

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators and policymakers have demonstrated interest in finding ways to better equip mathematics teachers so they can help students achieve at a higher level. Academic coaching has been identified as an effective professional development activity for teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between students’ achievement levels before and after a mathematics initiative in a Northeast Tennessee school district. In this study I analyzed grades 3 – 6 students’ Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program or TCAP scores in the year prior to the hiring of a mathematics coach and their respective scores 2 years after the placement …

Mobility And Student Achievement In High Poverty Schools, Janet D. Dalton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student mobility is an issue for high poverty schools in the shadow of increased rigor and accountability for student performance. Whereas mobility is not a sole cause for poor achievement, it is a contributing factor for students in poverty who are already considered to be at risk of low achievement. Student mobility creates a hardship for schools and districts and hampers attempts to properly monitor the progress of students. This quantitative study examined the differences between mobile and nonmobile 4th grade students from 4 high poverty schools in a Northeast Tennessee school district. Research before and after the No Child …

Contextual Effects On Student Academic Achievement : A Multilevel Analysis., Shawnise Martin Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 1 million young people annually who should do not graduate from high school, positioning them on a downward trajectory of a lifetime of lower income and limited opportunities. The effects of low education ranges from micro-level consequences, such as unemployment and health, to mezzo-level consequences, such as neighborhood crime and poverty rates, to macro-level consequences, such as increased costs in government assistance and policy implications. Data from the 2011 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimate dataset and from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) Division of Data Management, Planning, and Program Evaluation were used to examine environmental factors that …

Investigation Of The Perceptions Of Success Among Charter School Teachers As It Relates To Student Achievement, Kathryn Archibald Stakem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of success among charter school teachers, along with their beliefs and self-efficacy, as it relates to student achievement. The researcher studied the successes of teachers based on their personal experience. The primary questions were designed to investigate teacher perceptions of their experiences and beliefs on achievement. The questions also addressed the influence that the charter school structure had on these beliefs and expectations. The participants in this study included 15 middle school teachers currently working in urban charter schools. A phenomenological study was conducted to gather information using the following …

The Impact Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten On The Academic Achievement And Kindergarten Readiness Of Students In A Large Suburban School District, Jordan Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, state governments are allocating millions of dollars to support Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs. Recent research has indicated that students that participate in VPK demonstrate higher academic achievement scores across a number of subject areas. Moreover, VPK participants are more likely to enter primary school on grade level, which in turn leads to a reduction in grade retention. Studies have indicated that although all students that participate in VPK programs benefit from such programs, minority students and students that come from low-socioeconomic backgrounds benefit at an even higher level. The intent of this study was to determine …