The Evaluation Of Schools To College And Career (S2c) Readiness Program For Middle School Student, Sima D. Gandhi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of research on what it means to be college and career ready at the middle school level, and this creates confusion for students when they enter high school and must select courses that are aligned with their college and career goals. This study sought to understand how the Schools to College and Career (S2C) Readiness Program impacts middle school students at the charter school. In order to understand this impact, the study looked at how the S2C Readiness Program relates to students’ understanding and awareness of CCR at the school.

Using a quantitative approach this study …

Infographic: Black Unicorns - Pre-College Access To Stem And Non-Revenue Sports, Kobe Reese, Leroy Long Iii, Morris R. Council Iii, Sharnnia Artis

Publications

This infographic was created to support the article titled Black Unicorns: STEM Access for Black Student-Athletes in Non-Revenue Sports. The article is for the 3rd Annual Conference of CoNECD - Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity. The infographic covers Black students' pre-college access to non-revenue generating sports and STEM. Suggested recommendations are included.

Infographic: Division 1 - Power 5 Football Stars In Stem, Sydney Jones, Leroy Long Iii

Publications

In this infographic, football stars studying degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are showcased. The infographic focuses on racial/ethnic minoritized students who pursue STEM degrees and play football at a university in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 - Power 5 conference. For each football star, their name, university and major are included. While pursuing majors such as biology, engineering and psychology, these diverse individuals provide counterexamples of who can pursue rigorous majors and high-demand sports.

Perceptions Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Instructional Leadership To Support Music Teachers, Erick Cuthbert Willie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

K-12 school principals, as instructional leaders, are critical to supporting music teachers. The problem addressed in this project study was that principals have been inconsistently applying instructional leadership to support music teachers to remain in the teaching profession. The purpose of this basic qualitative research design study was to understand how principals applied instructional leadership practices to support music teachers in order to retain them. The conceptual framework was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy, which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) the school mission, (b) the instructional program, and (c) the school climate. The research …

Exploring Fathers' Perception Of Their Reading And Math Skills And Paternal Involvement, Vielka C. Massenburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many children in the U.S. public education system at the elementary and secondary levels are below proficiency in reading and math. Parental involvement within the home and school context is important to children's overall and academic success. The purpose of this basic, qualitative study was to explore fathers' perception about their self-efficacy, reading and math skills, knowledge of and accessibility to educational and community resources, and their involvement in the academic lives of their elementary school-age children. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory provided the theoretical framework of social interrelatedness. Semistructured interviews were conducted to collect the data from 7 fathers with …

Middle School Science Teachers’ Experience With The Change To Inquiry-Based By Instruction, Patricia Adams-Gouthro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school science teachers in a Northeastern urban school district incorporated an inquiry-based curriculum (IBC) using the full option science system (FOSS) to improve instruction; however, the teachers struggled to change their teaching practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ experiences with and their changes in instructional practices using the FOSS curriculum. The concerns-based adoption model was the framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on identifying the levels of use, stages of concern, and experiences and needs teachers had using the FOSS curriculum. A purposeful sample of 14 middle school science teachers, …

Information Security Ambassadors’ Perceptions Of Peer-Led Motivation In Phishing Detection, Kingkane Malmquist

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Phishing rates are increasing yearly and continue to compromise data integrity. The need to guard business information is vital for organizations to meet their business objectives and legal obligations. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore security ambassadors’ perceptions of motivating their peers to adopt safe internet behaviors in a large medical campus in Minnesota. Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristic motivation theory was used to frame the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 20 security ambassadors. Data coding and analysis yielded 7 themes: rewarding, value, personal interest, limited information security knowledge, increased interest, communication, and topics …

Perceptions Of White Mountain Apache High School Graduates About College, Tyler Rush Bangert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Very few high school graduates from the White Mountain Apache Reservation go on to college, and it is not known what perceptions may contribute to a decision not to attend college. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study is to investigate these perceptions, including cultural values and family obligations. The framework of this study is founded on Tribal Critical Race Theory, also known as TribalCrit, which came out of Critical Race Theory (CRT). TribalCrit posits that colonization (Western European peoples colonizing Native American lands and peoples) is endemic in society. Seventeen White Mountain Apache tribal members who had graduated …

Case Study Of Teachers’ Instructional Practices Among Eighth Grade Students With Disabilities, Lashaundon Perkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic achievement of students relies heavily on a student’s reading proficiency. The college-and career-readiness reading test results of 8th grade North Carolina students did not meet expectations during the 2016-2017 school year. The overall reading performance of 8th grade North Carolina students who have shown achievement at or above proficient was 30%, which is below the national average. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional practices of special education teachers in a low performing school in the eastern region of North Carolina. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Research questions addressed …

Relationship Between Parental Involvement And 4th-5th Grade Students’ Academic Motivation, Charla Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The achievement gap between African American and White students has been well documented. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether parental involvement in academics predicted academic motivation of fourth- and fifth-grade African American students in the Southwest United States. Social development theory provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 43 students and 43 parents using the Parental Involvement Scale and the Children’s Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. A t test, linear regression, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Findings indicated no significant difference between how parents and students perceived parental involvement …

Administrators’ Roles And Practices In The Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions, Frances Correa-Phelps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive behavior intervention support is a behavioral approach that was implemented in the early 2000s across the United States to assist educators in addressing the behavioral concerns of students with special needs. Since its implementation, it has been used to assist students at all levels with emotional and behavioral needs to achieve academic success in over 20,000 schools. However, there was a reported lack of administrative support and insufficient understanding regarding administrators’ roles in the process. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to examine administrators’ roles and decision-making practices in implementation of the behavioral intervention approach across …

Development Of The Traditional Digital Games For Strengthening Childhood's Verbal Skill, Nuur Wachid Abdul Majid, Taufik Ridwan

Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi

The aims of this research was to: (1) know the portability aspect of the Traditional Digital Games application as a medium for early childhood learning; and (2) know the usability aspect of the Traditional Digital Games applications as a medium for early childhood learning. The method used in this study is Research and Development (R & D). The stages through which the waterfall will be useful to be able to produce reliable and effective software. The waterfall flowchart consists of: analysis, design, implementation, testing, and improvement. The results of this study were: (1) the results of testing from the portability …

Gender, Religion And Patriarchy: The Educational Discrimination Of Coastal Madurese Women, East Java, Sudarso Sudarso, Phillipus Edy Keban, Siti Mas’Udah

Journal of International Women's Studies

One of the educational development problems is the gap in the quality of education between regions and community groups, as well as gender. This article has examined gender, religion, patriarchy and the educational discrimination faced by coastal women who are a part of the Madura culture in East Java. This study employed a qualitative approach by interviewing 70 informants who consisted of school dropouts, the parents of daughters who had dropped out, teachers, and community leaders. This study found there to be several key findings. In the Madura culture, the concept of gender for women is always associated with the …

The Beliefs Literacy Specialists Hold Regarding Processes That Assist Struggling Readers With The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Marguerite Haldin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children have a basic human right to read. It is the evolving work of the reading/literacy specialists to provide support and build confidence in readers struggling in all components of reading. The purpose of this study is to explore the beliefs of reading/literacy specialists regarding the processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text. The methods used were designed to address the research question: What are the beliefs reading/literacy specialists hold regarding processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text? Nineteen members of a professional learning group from an intermediate unit in Southwestern Pennsylvania, …

Engineering Education Professional Development For Teachers In The Delta Greely School District, Jennifer Dougherty

Education

Over the last two decades engineering has become a new focus in many science curricula, in part due to the emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. Most teachers lack training or education in engineering and are not adequately prepared to implement effective engineering education. This research identifies the needs and constraints of one district, the Delta Greely School District (DGSD), in Delta Junction, AK (approximately 750 students district-wide). Surveys were distributed to fifty teachers and five administrators to gather information on attitudes and beliefs surrounding engineering education. Focus groups were conducted with teachers and administrators to better …

How To Promote Education For Sustainable Development? Vision Of The Educational Situation And Its Contribution To Sustainable Development., Khalid Aada

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

During the last decade, the importance of leaving a rational paradigm, debtor of functionalist and utilitarian models, towards another more congruent with the preservation of natural resources, and therefore of life, has been widely discussed. In the same way, different voices have been raised, pointing out the urgency of inserting these precepts into the educational field, hoping to achieve the true cultural transformation that is needed to consolidate the change. Multiple International Entities promote sustainability in Education as an initiative that should be ambitious, complex and reforming character, given the global scope of the social, economic and environmental situation affecting …

A Pedagogic Analysis Of Linear Algebra Courses, Andrew Taylor

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

This project is concerned with investigating the question, "Do our applied linear algebra courses (at the University of New Mexico) adequately prepare STEM students for future work in their respective fields?" In order to explore this, surveys were issued to three groups (sections) of students (among two different instructors) at the conclusion of their applied linear algebra course, as well as STEM professors/instructors from a variety of STEM fields. Students were surveyed regarding their perceived mastery of given topics/ideas from the course and professors/instructors were surveyed about the level of mastery they felt was necessary (referred to as ``desired mastery") …

Measuring The Effects Of A Student Teaching-Based Unit On 3rd Graders’ Perceptions Of Engineers And Engineering, Taylor Cobb, Scott Townsend

Honors Theses

Measuring the Effects of a Student Teaching-Based Unit on 3rd Graders’ Perceptions of Engineers and Engineering

Taylor Cobb

Dr. Scott Townsend, Department of Education

Abstract

This paper explores previous findings on this topic and extends the level of research to lower grades of students. The research articles vary in finding for some upper elementary grade but eventually reach the same overall general consensus. Majority of researchers found that students do not have a clear understanding of what engineers are or what they do. They often confuse engineers with scientists, vocational workers, and train conductors. Of all the varying studies conducted …

Learning Consequences Of School Improvement In Mexico: Evidence From A Large Government Program, Carlos Alejandro Noyola Contreras

Undergraduate Economic Review

I study the impact of investment in infrastructure of already existing poor schools and increased school based management on learning outcomes, as measured by student achievement in standardized tests. To that end, I implement a difference-in-differences design to compare schools that received money from a large government program to improve their physical conditions with those that do not, before and after program implementation. Unlike previous studies, I focus on the effect of improving schools that already exist, to see whether the impact is different from that of building schools. I find no evidence of positive impacts on test scores at …

Connect 240 - December 2019

Connect

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The Promise And Peril Of Using Disability Law As A Tool For School Reform, Claire Raj

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Space For Learning: An Analysis Of Research On Active Learning Spaces, Robert Talbert, Anat Mor-Avi

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) are learning spaces specially designed to optimize the practice of active learning and amplify its positive effects in learners from young children through university-level learners. As interest in and adoption of ALCs has increased rapidly over the last decade, the need for grounded research in their effects on learners and schools has grown proportionately. In this paper, we review the peer-reviewed published research on ALCs, dating back to the introduction of “studio” classrooms and the SCALE-UP program up to the present day. We investigate the literature and summarize findings on the effects of ALCs on learning …

Closing The Opportunity Gap In And Through Dance: A New Rubric Design, Emily Hunter

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to design a dance audition rubric that could identify both capability and potential in novice students and formally trained dancers alike. The high school targeted in this study was among the top public arts schools in the nation, able to offer unparalleled opportunities to students who gain admission by audition. A problem existed in that students with little or no formal dance training had difficulty gaining entry to the dance program because the existing rubric rewarded evidence of training over raw talent. In designing a new rubric, the hope was to identify one way …

Investigating The Use And Effectiveness Of The Istation Advanced Reading Program With Fourth-Grade At-Risk Struggling Readers, Andres Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of computer-based-instruction (CBI) and multimedia when used as an intervention with upper elementary students experiencing reading difficulties on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Reading Assessments. The researcher employed a quantitative, causal-comparative research design for this study. A Texas supplemental reading program, the Istation Advanced Reading Program, was used as a Response to Intervention (RTI) for those at-risk students of failing their Reading STAAR Test in the fourth grade and to sustain an effective reading program district-wide.

Archived data was collected from three South Texas Title I …

College And Career Awareness In Elementary Schools, Veronica Martinez Gracida

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Greenfield Union School District provides the educational needs of students, K-6, who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and special education. Data shows that students in the Greenfield Union School District have low academic performance in English, Mathematics, and other subjects. One reason for low academic performance is the lack of student engagement in school. The capstone project attempted to encourage student engagement, by increasing students’ knowledge and awareness about college and careers. Three 5th grade classes participated in the college activities. The capstone project consisted of four college awareness sessions. The sessions included activities which expanded students’ knowledge about career …

Assessing The Impact Of 3d Printed Terrain On Teaching Topography In Introductory Earth Science Labs, Jay Alan Cockrell

Masters Theses

Learning to effectively read topographic maps is challenging for students, as these maps contain 3D representations of terrain displayed on a 2D surface map. This project assessed student learning when 3D terrain printed from a portion of the laboratory quadrangle map currently in use was introduced into an earth science course for non-science majors. Using a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups across two semesters, performance on the Modified Topographic Map Assessment (MTMA) administered as a pre- and posttest was used to compare learning outcomes between the traditional lab and the 3D print lab intervention. Students in the traditional (n = …

Gnome Waste Warriors: Waste Reduction Through Sustainability, Hayley E.R. Frost Rubino

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project was on how waste and waste reduction could positively impact a community. Waste reduction is an important issue because the negative impacts of waste affect the whole planet. By educating Monterey Gnome School (MGS) about waste, changes in daily habits are intended to result in lasting change. An evidence-based argument is offered that waste is a global issue that negatively impacts the earth's landmasses, oceans, and human health. Both MGS staff and students were interviewed and surveyed, as their perspectives provide unique aspects of thinking about waste issues. The themes that emerged from an …

Girls Support Group, Celina Alexa Alvarez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone project was to shine light onto the current crises girls in East Salinas are facing. The project addressed the hardships girls are facing by not having someone they feel comfortable talking to. The project highlighted and promoted coping skills for the hardships they go through everyday such as growing up in low-income families, high violence rates and the lack of resources available to them. There are many consequences that affect the girl’s mentality. Some of these consequences include isolation, behavioral issues and lack of empowerment. The capstone project provided a Girls Support Group at Taylor …

Parent Involvement In Elementary Schools, Maria Miramontes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The current Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium results prove that the Greenfield Union School District is academically low in English and Mathematics. This is a problem that the school district is facing because students are not engaged with their education. Poverty and low parental involvement puts students at risk to not be engaged in their education, since the socioeconomic status of parents can prohibit parents with the level of engagement in their children’s education. The majority of the students at Greenfield Union School District are English learners, this is another risk factor because at times parents cannot help their children in …

Structured Sensemaking Of Videographic Information Within Dataphoric Space, Michael J. Pritchard

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

Attempts to create a structured sensemaking model have proven difficult. Much of the research today has evolved into a cacophony of conceptual models. Many of these sensemaking models have been proposed but not tested. Using structural equations, a unified model of sensemaking was developed and tested. This structured sensemaking model contains five sensemaking constructs: chaos, anchoring, articulation, retrospection, and identity. This model was tested using data collected from 224 educationally focused YouTube videos. The confirmatory factor model developed for this research has a measured Comparative Fit Index of 0.979, a measured Standardized Root Mean Square Residual of 0.078, and a …