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2007

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Poiesis, Susan Lee Harmon Dec 2007

Poiesis, Susan Lee Harmon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines mark-making techniques in my art and surveys the literary and musical works that inspired it. An historical examination of the role of mark-making in art will be undertaken, beginning with Paleolithic cave art, continuing with Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, and concluding with three contemporary visual artists whose marks have influenced my work: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cy Twombly, and Susan Rothenberg. Finally, my artistic process is explained through references to the materials and rituals used to create a body of art. This thesis researches the meaning behind artistic marks, and how marks are made in my paintings and …


Dangers Of Credulity: Mary Robinson And The Trope Of Victimization, Jeffrey Paul Kozee Dec 2007

Dangers Of Credulity: Mary Robinson And The Trope Of Victimization, Jeffrey Paul Kozee

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A prodigious professional poet admired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; a courtesan idealized for her unparalleled beauty; a famed actress and mistress to royalty known to live beyond her means in an era of exploding print culture: Mary Robinson found herself portrayed incongruously in motley of mediums. While the leading portrait artists of the day, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, were painting dazzling portraits of Mrs. Robinson, she found herself lampooned in the satirical cartoons of James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson. The multifarious representations of Mary Robinson seem an apt commentary on her tumultuous life. Intriguing in their …


Examination Of Administrative Support, Instructional Preparation, And Collegial Support Met And Unmet Needs Of First Year Teachers Participating In The Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program In Middle Georgia, Jenny Ogden Scarborough Dec 2007

Examination Of Administrative Support, Instructional Preparation, And Collegial Support Met And Unmet Needs Of First Year Teachers Participating In The Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program In Middle Georgia, Jenny Ogden Scarborough

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Georgia Teacher Alternative Placement Program (GTAPP) began placing teachers in the classroom in 2000. The participants of this study were nine first year teachers in an urban county in Middle Georgia currently enrolled in the Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (GTAPP). The researcher conducted a qualitative study that began with identification of first year GTAPP teachers in the county. An invitation for participation was sent to all identified teachers through the county email system. Once a pool of volunteers was identified, a random sample of nine subjects was drawn. Upon selection of the nine first-year GTAPP teachers, one-hour semi-structured …


Computer Technology Utilization By Metro Suburban High School Counselors, Lena M. Travis Dec 2007

Computer Technology Utilization By Metro Suburban High School Counselors, Lena M. Travis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school counselors are using computer technology. The researcher's goal was to determine if high school counselors are using computer technology, how they are using computer technology, and how frequently they are using computer technology. After a review of literature relating to counselors and technology, it is determined that a study was warranted to determine how computer technology is used by high school counselors. The researcher used a 10-item, self-developed and tested survey instrument designed to investigate how high school counselors use computer technology, how frequently it was used and how …


Leadership Behaviors That Contribute To Teacher Morale, Vickie Tantee Randolph-Robinson Dec 2007

Leadership Behaviors That Contribute To Teacher Morale, Vickie Tantee Randolph-Robinson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this era of increased accountability and increased pressure to improve our public schools, elementary school leaders, working to meet the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, are focusing on developing effective leadership behaviors as they face the complex challenges of meeting organizational goals within their elementary schools and maintaining or increasing staff satisfaction. Leadership behavior has long been of interest in industry, business, military, and the government; on the whole, research shows that focusing on social factors such as morale, group interaction, and supportive relationships has a strong effect on productivity and success. The …


Implementing Career Academies In A Large, Comprehensive High School, Delmas Lee Watkins Dec 2007

Implementing Career Academies In A Large, Comprehensive High School, Delmas Lee Watkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of high school individuals in implementing and sustaining Career Academies in a large comprehensive high school. The Career Academy is a high school reform model that integrates school-to-work elements in a personalized learning environment. The Career Academy structure provides partnerships between high schools and employers to enhance students' exposure to career development and work-based learning opportunities. The Career Academy model has proven to be a successful reform initiative for keeping students in school and positively impacting their post-secondary outcomes. Success is dependent of the contingent on the full implementation including …


Impact Of No Child Left Behind Act Mandates On The Roles Of Paraprofessionals, Katherine Jane Coyne Dec 2007

Impact Of No Child Left Behind Act Mandates On The Roles Of Paraprofessionals, Katherine Jane Coyne

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As more and more paraprofessionals are hired in order to maintain or achieve the required educational benchmarks, the need for researchers to explore the field of paraprofessionals has greatly increased. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates have brought about increased requirements and certification for all paraprofessionals. Although these mandates have undergone extensive study, very little research has been conducted on how paraprofessionals feel this legislation has impacted them. The use of paraprofessionals in classrooms has grown substantially in recent years. Paraprofessionals assume a variety of roles, both in classrooms and in schools, as well as in special education and …


The Characteristics Of Effective Mentoring Programs For At Risk Students As Perceived By Selected Georgia Principals, Tujuana Carlene Bush Dec 2007

The Characteristics Of Effective Mentoring Programs For At Risk Students As Perceived By Selected Georgia Principals, Tujuana Carlene Bush

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of successful mentoring programs principals perceived most effective with at risk students. The research conducted intends to be a resource of organized support systems for students considered at risk for academic failure. As an educator, the researcher understands the value of mentoring programs and the support that mentors offer. Mentors create opportunities for students to build self esteem, connectedness, and make healthy decisions through guidance given by one on one or small group interactions. Employing a research instrument composed of ten questions designed to elicit responses relating to two research …


Development Of Effective Discipline Practices Of A Rural Georgia Elementary School, Laurie Hale Lewis Dec 2007

Development Of Effective Discipline Practices Of A Rural Georgia Elementary School, Laurie Hale Lewis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For U. S. schools, never had there been a crisis on the scale of what happened at the Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, when two students killed 12 students and one teacher, and injured 21 others before committing suicide (Barrios, 2001). Violence, or the threat of violence, has a direct impact on the quality of education provided and on the way teachers and students work together in the classroom (Winett, 1998). Welldisciplined, effective schools are not a product of chance; it takes administrators, teachers, students, and parents working together to provide an environment conducive to learning (Marzano & …


Examining The Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Discipline Intervention And Its Impact On Teacher Beliefs, Values And Practices, Isreal J. Collins Dec 2007

Examining The Implementation Of School-Wide Positive Discipline Intervention And Its Impact On Teacher Beliefs, Values And Practices, Isreal J. Collins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The frequent occurrence of negative student behaviors such as bulling, verbal abuse, and disrespect remain a key concern for teacher. Teachers report instances of simple disrespect, noncompliance, poor peer interactions, cursing, making fun of one another, grabbing, pushing and being of-task as common occurrences in their classrooms. Teachers are expected and required to manage student behavior through the implementation of a well designed classroom management plan. Student disruptions through negative behavior require constant alteration of their management plan, reducing instructional time, and leaving teachers with high levels of personal frustration and stress. School districts around the country have begun to …


Perceptions Of Chief Information Officers Who Have Managed Information Technology Both Outside And Inside Higher Education, Lisa Christine Spence Dec 2007

Perceptions Of Chief Information Officers Who Have Managed Information Technology Both Outside And Inside Higher Education, Lisa Christine Spence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine perceptions about information technology management of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in higher education who have previously worked outside that environment. Participants from the University System of Georgia and from universities in the Southern Regional Education Board were interviewed. They had a variety of backgrounds outside higher education, including corporate, military, not-for-profit, and small business. Participants in the study identified challenges related to diversity of students and faculty; the demand by students for leading-edge technology; academic culture; accountability; funding levels and methods; information security; the lack of a bottom line; the decision-making process; and human …


What Works: Principal Leadership Behaviors That Positively Impact Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Jason R. Moffitt Dec 2007

What Works: Principal Leadership Behaviors That Positively Impact Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Jason R. Moffitt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Effective leadership behaviors are imperative in contributing to student achievement and the overall culture of a school. School leaders must mold the culture of the school in order to create an environment which is conducive to learning. Studies on school leadership and student achievement have highlighted the evidence of school leadership behaviors which contribute to student achievement. The purpose of this investigation studied the extent of school leadership behaviors and or characteristics that contribute to student achievement. This study was designed to identify the relationship between the behaviors of the school leader and student achievement. The study determined if teachers …


Georgia's Special Education Directors' Roles In The Implementation Of Inclusion, Larry Michael Newton Dec 2007

Georgia's Special Education Directors' Roles In The Implementation Of Inclusion, Larry Michael Newton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the roles of Georgia's special education directors in the implementation of inclusion. The researcher surveyed directors' role involvement with inclusion implementation at the district and school levels across eight major categories. Demographic data were collected on the previous work experiences, number of students with disabilities in the school system, and the percentage of students with disabilities served in the general classroom. The researcher used a focus group to investigate the roles of Georgia's directors. Sixty-four percent of Georgia's directors completed the survey, and three directors participated in the focus group. Georgia's directors …


Examination Of Teacher Workplace Satisfaction And Student Achievement, Angela Scott Patrick Dec 2007

Examination Of Teacher Workplace Satisfaction And Student Achievement, Angela Scott Patrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has been conducted to study teacher workplace satisfaction. The following factors were identified as integral to teacher workplace satisfaction: administrative support; student behaviors; workplace atmosphere; autonomy and efficacy. Findings within the extant literature indicated that student achievement is a factor in teachers' satisfaction with their work. Specifically, educators have repeatedly expressed a need to impact student achievement and have noted satisfaction or dissatisfaction in relation to their perception of their influence or lack therefore. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher workplace satisfaction and student achievement with the intent of making recommendations regarding maximization …


Analysis Of Compelling And Constraining Forces Experienced By Georgia High School Principals Implementing Smaller Learning Communities, Martin Gregory Waters Dec 2007

Analysis Of Compelling And Constraining Forces Experienced By Georgia High School Principals Implementing Smaller Learning Communities, Martin Gregory Waters

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The research on smaller learning communities is extensive, and the benefits are documented, compelling, and persuasive. While the practice can become the engine for higher achievement, stakeholders must adjust to a new paradigm of school operations. In many cases, prior procedures and traditions must be abandoned to achieve academic, social, and school environmental goals. Several unknown factors exist in Georgia's high schools as administrators attempt to find programs and procedures to meet the needs of rapidly growing and diverse student populations. First, little is known about the experiences of Georgia high school principals implementing smaller learning communities, nor the forces …


Study Of The Implementation Of A Professional Learning Community In One Middle School In Georgia, Jana Maria Underwood Dec 2007

Study Of The Implementation Of A Professional Learning Community In One Middle School In Georgia, Jana Maria Underwood

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As public demands for school accountability continue to increase due to federal legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, educators struggle to meet rising minimum standards. In an effort to address these pressures and search for ways to improve, educators consider implementing a professional learning community model which focuses on the improvement of teaching and learning. While attributes and characteristics of professional learning communities are documented in the literature, little is known about how the model is established or sustained. The purpose of this case study was to understand how one middle school implemented a professional …


Administration Of Higher Education Extended Campus Locations With A Distance Learning Component: An Analysis Of Best Leadership Practices At Columbia College, Don Stephen Stumpf Dec 2007

Administration Of Higher Education Extended Campus Locations With A Distance Learning Component: An Analysis Of Best Leadership Practices At Columbia College, Don Stephen Stumpf

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the leadership practices of extended campus directors in the context of the administration of distance learning programs. The leadership practices of the 30 extended campus directors working for Columbia College of Missouri, at various locations around the country were measured using the Leadership Practices Inventory - Self (LPI - Self). This survey instrument was distributed using a secure email account established for the purposes of this study. The researcher analyzed the quantitative data collected from the study using the one-sample z-test to complete a comparison of the leadership practices of the directors …


Identification Of Teacher Interpersonal Relationship Behaviors Related To High School Hispanic Student Success, Iris Torres Crews Dec 2007

Identification Of Teacher Interpersonal Relationship Behaviors Related To High School Hispanic Student Success, Iris Torres Crews

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated high school Hispanic students' perceptions of their mathematics or science teachers' interpersonal relationship behaviors. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was completed by 572 high school Hispanic students in Georgia. Of these, 259 high school Hispanic students identified the teacher interpersonal relationships behaviors of their mathematics teacher and 313 students identified the behaviors of their science teacher. Ratings obtained from high school Hispanic students in a district with a large percentage of high school Hispanic students whose scores on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) exceeded the reported state pass/pass plus percentage, and ratings from high …


Balanced School Calendar And Its Effects On Student Achievement In Two Rural Georgia Schools, Ernestine R. Jackson Dec 2007

Balanced School Calendar And Its Effects On Student Achievement In Two Rural Georgia Schools, Ernestine R. Jackson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed the impact of the balanced calendar on reading, English/language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science achievement. Performance data on thirdand fifth-grade students enrolled in a school implementing a balanced calendar for three years were compared with the performance data on third- and fifth-grade students enrolled in a similar school utilizing the traditional calendar. The population in this causal-comparative study was third- and fifth-grade students in these two schools. The over-riding research question was: To what extent does a balanced calendar affect student academic achievement? Independent-samples t tests were conducted to determine statistically significant differences in reading achievement, …


Effect Of Principal Leadership Strategies On Teachers' Use Of Data In Benchmark And Non-Benchmark Middle Schools, Judith Louise Riffel Dec 2007

Effect Of Principal Leadership Strategies On Teachers' Use Of Data In Benchmark And Non-Benchmark Middle Schools, Judith Louise Riffel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study was designed to measure the extent to which middle school principal leadership strategies impact teachers use of data. The subjects were practicing teachers from six middle schools in a large urban school district in the state of Georgia. Each participant was either a language arts, mathematics or science teacher in grade six, seven or eight. The study was ex-post facto and descriptive in nature and the researcher used a mixed method design to collect the data. A researcher-developed instrument was administered to each subject. The findings revealed that principal leadership strategies do impact teachers' use of data. Principal …


Elementary Teacher Mentoring In A Rural Georgia School System: The Impact On Teacher Retention And The Implication For Elementary School Principals, Sharon Renea Colson Dec 2007

Elementary Teacher Mentoring In A Rural Georgia School System: The Impact On Teacher Retention And The Implication For Elementary School Principals, Sharon Renea Colson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore beginning teachers' beliefs on their mentoring programs and to explain their perspectives. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with three beginning teacher participants and three principal participants in a rural Georgia school system. Constant comparative analysis was used to collect, code, and analyze the data, which included interview responses and researchers' memos. Mentoring programs were found to be supportive practices which involved the beginning teachers and mentors. Beginning teachers formed open, positive relationships with their mentors and interacted with them on a regular basis through their mentoring experiences in their respective schools. These interactions …


Postmodern View Of The Hidden Curriculum, Linda W. Dickerson Dec 2007

Postmodern View Of The Hidden Curriculum, Linda W. Dickerson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation will address the hidden curriculum and the impact that it has on the contemporary classroom. In the twentieth century, America is facing a variety of crises, one being the state of the national educational system, and part of this crisis is the public image that the educational system presents to the public eye through the hidden curriculum. Every institution has a public image or the side of it which first meets the eye, but often these images are deceptive. Schools present a public image in that schools teach much more than they claim to teach and they complete …


All For One, But Not One For All: The Knowledge/Power Struggle And Its Effect On Teacher Autonomy, Amy Phelps Fouse Dec 2007

All For One, But Not One For All: The Knowledge/Power Struggle And Its Effect On Teacher Autonomy, Amy Phelps Fouse

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Addressing current issues in English Language-Arts education, this study analyzes teacher perception of the paradoxical relationship between the Georgia Performance Standards and high-stakes testing accountability measures. This study examines teacher response to the implementation of Georgia Performance Standards and the oppression of federal accountability measures. This study also investigates whether Georgia Performance Standards can, in fact, promote equity through a multicultural and democratic pedagogy. This study further investigates whether or not standardized assessment serves to squelch equity and enforce power structures of bureaucracy through superseding the state curriculum in English-Language Arts. A mixed methods study was created to measure differences …


Trailer Park Royalty: Southern Child Beauty Pageants, Girlhood And Power, Elisabeth Blumer Thompson Dec 2007

Trailer Park Royalty: Southern Child Beauty Pageants, Girlhood And Power, Elisabeth Blumer Thompson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Child beauty pageants are a phenomenon in rural communities throughout Georgia. My belief is that most of those who compete in these pageants are from the lower socio-economic bracket, participating for a multitude of reasons. A bricolage of post-structural feminism, critical ethnography, critical hermeneutics and cultural studies lenses will analyze how the performances of participants and the power exercised by the beauty pageant culture work to formulate girls' identities. Analysis will also include how power operates to perpetuate this subculture and its right to dictate norms for beauty and acceptance and will be situated in the culture of girlhood. Examination …


Creating Nomads: The Importance Of Education In Forming The Multitude, Cecil Steven Page Dec 2007

Creating Nomads: The Importance Of Education In Forming The Multitude, Cecil Steven Page

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Education in the United States continues to focus on creating students to become good local citizens and this needs to change due to the globalized world in which we live. Through a poststructuralist lens and utilizing the works of Micheal Hardt and Antonio Negri this work examines the major institutions that control our world. This work examines the relationship between trans-national corporations and non-governmental organizations and the need for greater transparency in contributions. I propose that one of the major forces in Empire is the World Bank due to the loans that are made and the repayment agreements that are …


Cultivating Passion In Teaching English Language Learners: A Critical Analytical Inquiry, Victoria Vazquez Webbert Dec 2007

Cultivating Passion In Teaching English Language Learners: A Critical Analytical Inquiry, Victoria Vazquez Webbert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this theoretical dissertation my aim is to research the academic literature in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), compare it to the life experiences of past and/or present students, colleagues, children and myself to reflect and summarize my learning in the form of a conceptual framework that I have named, Framework for Understanding the Teaching and Learning of English Language Learners. The ever increasing number of diverse students in US schools along with the demand for standardized learning and assessments has created a range of challenges for educators that I seek to attend to with the writing of …


Issues Of Blondeness: Identity, Education, And Experience, Kelly C. Blackston-Cail Dec 2007

Issues Of Blondeness: Identity, Education, And Experience, Kelly C. Blackston-Cail

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This narrative study is an inquiry into the lives of five women and their personal identity development as it is related to the generalizations and negative stereotypes based on hair color among the female gender. The concept of blondeness as it is related to hair color and identity is the primary focus of this study based on the responsibility of social construction on the development of this image. The subject's willingness to participate provided many viable insights about their lived experiences in life, their education and/or professional careers. This study shows how each participant faced these generalizations and negativity which …


Performance-Based Assessment Within A Balanced Literacy Framework: An Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions And Implementation In Elementary Classrooms, Amy Mcgowan Duke Dec 2007

Performance-Based Assessment Within A Balanced Literacy Framework: An Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions And Implementation In Elementary Classrooms, Amy Mcgowan Duke

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored the perspectives of thirty-nine (N=39) elementary teachers employed in four elementary schools in one school district in Georgia regarding the use of performance-based assessment strategies within an all encompassing balanced literacy framework for instruction. Participants were surveyed on their use of performance-based assessment strategies, and both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. This study draws on the research regarding the dichotomy that exists between standardized tests and the performance-based assessment practices of teachers implementing balanced literacy. Because teacher buy-in is critical to the success of any curricular initiative, inquiry into teacher perceptions of their role …


Race, Class, And Tracking: What Keeps African American Males From Pursuing College Degrees?, Sonja Renee Richardson-Shavers Dec 2007

Race, Class, And Tracking: What Keeps African American Males From Pursuing College Degrees?, Sonja Renee Richardson-Shavers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using critical race theory (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, & Thomas, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 1995, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 1998) as the theoretical framework and narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as the research methodology, this study explored the stories of 4 African American males to discover how race, class, and tracking affected their higher education opportunities. Participants were selected based upon their chosen curriculum; 2 participants represented a college preparatory curriculum, and represented a technical preparatory curriculum. Stories were collected via individual and focus group interviews in a predominantly Black high school in middle Georgia. Additional methods included school portraiture, participant profiles, …


Black Feminist Autobiographical Inquiry Into The Experiences Of A Teen Mom, Advis Dell Wilkerson Dec 2007

Black Feminist Autobiographical Inquiry Into The Experiences Of A Teen Mom, Advis Dell Wilkerson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using Black feminist thought as the theoretical framework and autobiographical inquiry as methodology, I explored ways in which adversity fostered resiliency of character. Despite difficult circumstances, such as growing up in a poor, single-parent household and becoming pregnant in the 9th grade when continuing one's education after pregnancy or marriage was not permitted in the Deep South, with the help of others, I fought to finish my high school education and succeeded in college. I credit a close bond with a supportive adult and my own development of racial awareness with helping me to turn obstacles into successes. My intent …