Education Commons^™

Adequate Yearly Progress And Dropouts: An Analysis Of Kentucky High Schools & Districts, Michelle Schardein

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Education accountability measures, especially since the passage of No Child Left Behind, have been assessed for a variety of factors in empirical research. A large portion of this literature finds that overall, accountability measures increase performance, but also increase the achievement gap. These findings have inspired this research to examine what other marginal groups of students have been affected by the unintended reaction to the consequence-based incentives found in minimum competency accountability programs, such as No Child Left Behind.

In particular, this research looks at how the changes in a high school or school district’s Adequate Yearly Progress marks affect …

An Analysis Of Laboratory Inspections At The University Of Kentucky, Rachel Eldridge

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Recent news stories about laboratory accidents in which students were severely injured and killed have brought much-needed attention to lab safety. Creating a positive safety climate on college and university campuses is very important in reducing accidents. At the University of Kentucky, all laboratories are inspected once every year, and the results are recorded in a lab inspection database. These data include the department, building, lab classification, type of violation, room number, and the name of the PI (Principal Investigator). I want to analyze inspections to find out whether department and the lab classification are significant in looking at violations. …

An Exploration Of The Use Of Data, Analysis And Research Among College Admission Professionals In The Context Of Data-Driven Decision Making, Kimberly Ann Chaffer Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Increasing demands for accountability from both the public and the government have resulted in increasing pressure for higher education professionals to use data to support their choices. There is significant speculation that professionals at all levels of education lack the knowledge to implement data-driven decision making. However, empirical studies regarding whether or not professionals at four-year postsecondary institutions are utilizing data to guide programmatic and policy decisions are lacking. The purpose of this exploratory study was to explore the knowledge and habits of undergraduate admission professionals at four-year colleges and universities regarding their use of data in decision making. A …

Measuring Job Satisfaction Among Kentucky Head Principals Using The Rasch Rating Scale Model, Xavier J. Webb

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The continued expansion of principals' responsibilities is having a detrimental effect on their job satisfaction; therefore, it is increasingly challenging to retain these important leaders. Effective principals can impact student learning and other vital outcomes; thus, it is important to be able to retain effective school leaders. Examining the perceived sources of principals’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction with their work has strong implications for policies and practices that can be implemented to increase principal retention.

The purpose of this study was to measure the job satisfaction of head principals in Kentucky. The research conducted was an exploratory study using survey research …