Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Paraprofessionals On The Grow Your Own Teacher Program In Three Rural School Districts In Eastern North Carolina, Tony Faison

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The Grow Your Own Teacher (GYOT) program addresses the shortage of qualified teachers by recruiting and training community residents to become qualified teachers. These programs look and feel like community-building strategies instead of teacher pipeline strategies. The GYOT initiative is not new, but the mainstream absorption of the GYOT initiative presents an exciting opportunity to link education policy and neighborhood revitalization more closely. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of paraprofessionals on the GYOT program in three rural school districts in eastern North Carolina. The conceptual framework was based on Yosso's (2005) Cultural Wealth Model, …

Developing Effective Professional Learning Communities At Target Elementary School, Bianca S. White-Jeffries

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This explanatory design was used to develop and implement effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at Target Elementary School (TES). The theoretical framework for this study began with the assumption that there was a direct link between PLCs, student data, and self-efficacy of educator collaboration. It should be the goal of every educator to provide a quality education for each student. When educators collaborate to provide success in each classroom, various goals can be met within each site. Several instruments were used to develop and implement professional collaboration. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to determine the effectiveness of the current …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding The Impact Of Multicultural Literature, When It Is Implemented During Guided Reading Instruction, On Reading Comprehension For African American Male Students In Early Childhood, Cassandra Gregory

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Reading is an essential skill, used in every aspect of daily life. It is the foundation for every other form of learning (Alberti, 2010). Over the years, there has been a gap in reading achievement between African American male students and other demographic groups (Milner et al., 2013). This study examined the effectiveness of small group reading using multicultural literature in kindergarten through third grade, especially for the African American male student. A framework based on Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of cognitive development provides support for a systematic literacy approach. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher …

The Qualitative Study On The Effect Of Teacher/Student Relationships On Student Academics And Behaviors, Dionnya Pratt

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the strategies teachers use in order to develop positive teacher/student relationships in the classroom of a high-poverty, at-risk school district. The cross-case analysis was performed to determine teacher perceptions of their interactions with students and how they influence academics and behavior. Determining the mindset changes needed to maintain positive relationships will provide information that will be used to build effective schools through teacher trainings. Through analysis of teacher interviews, classroom observations, and journal entries, five predominate themes were determined. Relationships, culture, classroom management, high-quality instruction, and engagement were found to …

Professional Growth: How Do Cooperating Teachers Grow Through The Experience Of Having A Student Teacher?, Ashton D. Coppley

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Cooperating teachers and student teachers share a unique internship that allows the development of skills for both individuals. The literature states that cooperating teachers can grow from student teachers; however, there are a few sources that state the areas in which this growth occurs. The purpose of this study was to determine if growth or impact happened in the areas of instructional practices, coaching skills, and self-efficacy during the student teaching process. This mixed methods study included a survey, focus group interview, and single interviews to determine whether any change was made. The survey created descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation …

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And The Beginning Teacher: An Investigation Of The Role Of North Carolina Teacher Education Programs In Teacher Preparedness, Lisa D. Mccullough

Doctor of Education Dissertations

With the changing faces of America’s public school classrooms, colleges and universities that are responsible for the preparation of quality teachers will need to ensure that these future educators are equipped with the knowledge and ability to address the learning needs of students of color. This study was designed to examine how North Carolina teacher education programs prepare preservice teachers and beginning teachers with knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, beginning teacher (n=25) perceptual data were collected and analyzed utilizing a predeveloped survey instrument followed by a focus group in order to further describe …

Elementary Teacher Perceptions Of Eureka Math, Lindsay Harmon Walker

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers teaching the Eureka Math program using a mixed methods approach. The participants were Grades K-5 elementary teachers from 10 elementary schools within the same school district located in the southwestern region of North Carolina. Quantitative data were collected via a 4-point Likert scale survey distributed via Google Forms. Qualitative data were collected via an open-ended question from the survey and an interview group. The data were collected to answer the research question, “How do elementary teachers experience teaching mathematics using the Eureka Math program?” The researcher designed …

A Descriptive Phenomenological Exploration Of Resiliency Through Math Curriculum Changes From The Perspectives Of Elementary Educators, Shanna Good

Education Dissertations and Projects

Phenomenological research in education, especially regarding curriculum, is rare. Curriculum change in the state has occurred seven times since 2002, and more so in each district with material adoption. This descriptive phenomenological research study describes the experiences of elementary educators through changing math curriculums. To collect data, the researcher interviewed 10 elementary math teachers including a pilot interview. Using a purposeful, convenience sample, three participants from three different schools participated in this study to ensure validity and reliability. After conducting semi-structured interviews, the researcher followed protocol for descriptive phenomenological research and analyzed the data for meaning units that described how …

Beginning Teachers’ Experiences Working With A District-Employed Mentor In A North Carolina School District, Kari S. Hobbs Dr., Jennifer Putnam Dr.

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study is concerned with the experiences of beginning teachers working with a district-employed mentor. Based on Illeris’s (2002) Three Dimensions of Learning, the study sought to understand the cognitive, emotional, and social processes involved in working with a mentor through the use of one-on one, in-depth interviews.

Nine beginning teachers participated in the study. Their assignments included elementary (n=4), middle grades (n=2), and high school (n=3). Data collection took place at the end of the school year and included Year 1 and Year 2 teachers. The study uncovered four findings related to these beginning teachers: mentors …

Teacher Morale, Student Engagement, And Student Achievement Growth In Reading: A Correlational Study, Jenny T. Sabin

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This research study explored the current state of teacher morale in fourth and fifth grade classrooms in three low socio-economic schools in North Carolina. Additional research questions address correlational relationships among the variables of teacher morale, student engagement, and student achievement growth as measured by the NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey, Van Amburg Active Learning Inventory Tool, and the NC End of Grade reading tests, respectively. This study found no significant relationships among the primary variables of teacher morale, student engagement, and student achievement growth. However, significant relationships were found between increasing student engagement and an increase in the number …

Does Mclass Reading 3d Predict Student Reading Proficiency On High-Stakes Assessments?, Amy S. Bowles

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This quantitative, correlational study investigated the relationship between the North Carolina End of Grade Assessment of Reading Comprehension (NCEOG) and mClass Reading 3D assessment in a North Carolina elementary school. It especially examined the degree to which mClass Reading 3D measures predict scores on the reading comprehension portion of the NCEOG. The study was conducted in two parts. Part one utilized quantitative methods to describe the relationship between mClass Reading 3D and NCEOG based on demographic data. Part two utilized quantitative methods to determine the predictability of mClass Reading 3D measures Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Text Reading and Comprehension …

Keys To Reducing Summer Regression: The Reader, Routine, And Relationship, Morgan V. Blanton

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study utilized a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of parent development and home-based summer reading on summer reading regression (as measured by oral reading fluency) at three Title I elementary schools in North Carolina. Title I parents and students participated in a parent development and communicated throughout the summer. Quantitative and qualitative methods (QUAN-qual) were used to collect and analyze data in order to answer four research questions related to the parent development seminar and reading routines. Quantitative data were collected using a pretest/posttest, reading logs, contact logs, and questionnaires. Qualitative data were collected from the questionnaire …

An Evaluation Of Champs: A Classroom Management Program, Holly J. Minnear

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success (CHAMPS), a classroom management program in elementary schools in a district in North Carolina. The participants included principals and teachers who attended a 2-day training course and implemented the CHAMPS program at their schools.

The researcher used Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model to examine the impact of CHAMPS on classroom management practices and student behavior. Specifically, the researcher utilized the Process and Product components of the CIPP model. The Process Evaluation sought to answer the question, “To what extent was the CHAMPS program …

A Case Study Of The Impact Of Pbis At Smith Elementary, Amber Halliburton

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the impact of a Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) program on student behaviors, academic environment, and the total school environment. The study examined and assessed the impact of PBIS on student suspensions, student attendance, and student interactions. Additionally, this study examined the impact of the academic achievement of students and teachers’ instructional delivery time. This study examined the school-wide rules and expectations, school safety, communication, and the school’s response to student positive behaviors. The study took place at a rural elementary school in western North Carolina. The school successfully completed implementation …

A Case Study Of The Impact Of Reading Intervention In Early Elementary School Grade Levels, Bonnie S. Smith

Education Dissertations and Projects

This case study examined the impact of small class size using small group instruction with ability grouping for early literacy intervention. In this study, data were analyzed to determine the impact small class size, paired with small group instruction for intervention, had on students in terms of attaining grade-level proficiency standards. DIBELS data and facilitator interviews were analyzed from first and second grade intervention and traditional classes to determine the effectiveness of small class size and ability grouping for students to achieve grade-level proficiency in literacy. Results show that using direct instruction in small groups with Title I inclusion helped …

A Program Evaluation On Implementing Investigations In Number, Data, And Space® In Three Elementary Schools, Alexandra Leigh Smith

Education Dissertations and Projects

This applied dissertation was designed to provide perceptual teacher data as well as summative testing data to educational leaders concerning the effects of implementing Investigations in Number, Data, and Space® (Investigations) in three Title I elementary school settings, two Title I schools, and one non-Title I school. Data collected during this dissertation will be of use to educational stakeholders in selecting mathematics programs for elementary age students.

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to assess the effects of the Investigations program utilizing Stufflebeam’s CIPP program evaluation model. End-of-grade math test data for third, fourth, and fifth grade from the …

Teacher Capacity And Attitude Toward Data: An Examination Of The Association Between Teacher Beliefs And Student Performance On The Measures Of Academic Progress Assessment, Elizabeth C. Mitcham

Education Dissertations and Projects

Since the onset of No Child Left Behind legislation and federal funding for schools tied to summative assessment performance, educational leaders have sought to identify factors that are most influential on student learning outcomes. Research continues to link the use of formative data practices and teacher efficacy to improved student performance. The intent of this study was to explore associations between teacher capacity and attitude and student performance. In this embedded mixed-methods study, qualitative data from focus groups comprised of survey participants were collected within a larger quantitative study that examined associations between teacher beliefs and student performance. The study …

The Impact Of Instructional Rounds Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Melessa B. Widener

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of instructional rounds professional development on teacher self-efficacy. The scope of this study was a qualitative case study including interviews with teachers who had participated in instructional rounds professional development in a rural district in the foothills of North Carolina. The methodology included interviews with two teacher leaders from all elementary schools implementing Responsiveness to Instruction (RtI) and teachers at the Early College who participated in instructional rounds professional learning through the New Schools Project. The findings include teachers' quotes from the transcriptions of the interviews as supporting the research …

The Effect Of The Helps Program On The Oral Reading Fluency And Accuracy Rates Of Third-, Fourth-, And Fifth-Grade Students, Susan C. Blackburn

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the effects of the HELPS Program on the oral reading fluency and accuracy rates of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students as compared to students who received regular classroom instruction only. The study was conducted in a school district in northwestern North Carolina. The students in this study scored below benchmark on a Reading 3D End of Year Assessment and were nonproficient on the North Carolina end-of-grade reading test. As fluency is tied to reading comprehension, it is important that students have sufficient fluency and accuracy skills to read grade-level texts.

The study used Reading …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Common Core State Standards On Elementary Students' Abilities To Think Critically, Chris Blanton

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation employed a mixed-methods design to ascertain the perceptions of elementary schoolteachers in relation to the impact the Common Core State Standards had on their students' abilities to think critically. The participants were teachers from three schools within the same district in western North Carolina. Quantitative data were collected via a 5-point Likert scale survey distributed via Survey Monkey. Qualitative data were collected via open-ended questions and focus group interviews. The data were collected to answer the research question, "What is the impact of the Common Core State Standards on the critical thinking abilities of students?" The researcher designed …

Student Mobility On The Rise: A Case Study Of Strategies To Support Mobile Students, Alisha J. Cloer

Education Dissertations and Projects

Extensive literature on the problems in our country's education system exists; however, little attention has been given to high classroom student turnover at the state and federal levels (Hartman, 2002). Largely, research suggests mobility as being one of several interrelated factors which have an effect on students and the level of success experienced in school. Poverty is a prevailing factor in much of the student mobility research. Children in poverty are most likely to be mobile because their parents are moving from place to place to avoid rent, and they often become homeless. Some researchers say poverty is the cause …

The Relationship Between Mclass Reading 3d Assessment And The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Assessment Of Reading Comprehension In An Elementary School, Amy S. Bowles

Education Dissertations and Projects

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) instituted the Reading Diagnostic Initiative in 2009 in which select elementary schools across the state were piloting the reading diagnostic tool mClass Reading 3D. This study investigated the relationship between results from the North Carolina End-of-Grade (NCEOG) Assessment of Reading Comprehension and the results from the mClass Reading 3D assessment in a North Carolina elementary school's third, fourth, and fifth grades, especially examining the degree to which mClass Reading 3D predicts scores on the reading comprehension measures of the NCEOG.

The quantitative, correlational study utilized a predictive design to determine if the …

Evaluating Project L.I.F.T And Its Impact On Reducing The Elementary Literacy Gap Through Teacher Professional Development, Quinetta Hall

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to evaluate Project L.I.F.T and its plan to reduce the student achievement gap. A 5-year plan was proposed by investment researchers who recognized the importance of increasing student achievement and closing barriers in education. Trends in research data indicate that literacy significantly falls behind math on many state tests. Despite teacher professional development, innovative literacy practices, and interventions, there has not been an increase in literacy scores among minority subgroups such as African Americans and Hispanics. There is also a trend in achievement gaps among males and females.

Project L.I.F.T was granted $55 million to be …

Eury Value-Added Experience Model: A Case Study On The Collective Learning Culture Of A Suburban Middle School In The Southeastern Region Of The United States, Timothy Merrell Reed

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to test the Eury Value-Added Experience Model as a theoretical model to measure and evaluate the collective learning culture of a school organization. The Eury Value-Added Experience Model is based upon five domains of the theoretical model: (1) dispositions, (2) professional experiences, (3) structure, (4) shared decision making, and (5) assessment and reflection skills. This mixed-method case study used the five domains to focus on the collective learning culture of a suburban middle school in the western region of the State of North Carolina. Limited research exists on the use of the Eury Value-Added Experience Model …

Leadership Practices: Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Of A Small Rural School District In Western North Carolina, Randy Mann

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of the teachers' perceptions and principals' perceptions of the principals' leadership practices in public schools of a small rural county in western North Carolina. The participants in this study included 207 certified teachers and 11 building-level principals. The researcher used the survey method of data collection in which the teacher participation was 70% and the principal participation was 92%.

The instruments used to collect data included a demographic survey and the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 2003a). The demographic survey was used to obtain teacher demographic characteristics. The …

Summer Reading Loss: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Parent Development And Home-Based Summer Reading, Morgan V. Blanton

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation utilized a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of parent development on rising third graders' summer reading losses as measured by the difference in May and August oral reading fluency scores. Title I parents and students from three schools in a rural North Carolina school district participated in a parent development session that focused on reading strategies to use at home. Parents and Title I teachers were in contact during the summer via telephone or face-to-face and students kept a reading log in order to collect data regarding reading routines. Quantitative data were collected using a pretest/posttest …

Attitudes And Beliefs Of Upper Elementary Teachers Regarding The Teaching Of Cursive Handwriting, Dorothy Myers

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study surveyed current third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in two small school districts in the southeast. One school district has initiated a technology initiative in its elementary schools. The other school district involved in the study incorporates technology but does not have a specified technology initiative. This dissertation was designed to provide information about the attitudes and beliefs of current third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers about the necessity of teaching cursive handwriting. Many schools today either no longer teach cursive handwriting or do not spend the amount of time teaching cursive handwriting as in years past. With the age …

An Examination Of Academic Growth Of Minority Elementary Magnet School Students, David Wayne Snapp

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research was designed to examine the difference in student performance between minority magnet school students who live in the residential area for those magnet schools and minority students assigned to a non-magnet residential school. This difference in performance was measured by scale score differences from the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and math after the sample scores were converted to z scores using the state mean and standard deviation for the given years in the study. Performance growth was measured for students who were in the third grade in 2009-2010 and remained at their school through the fifth …

Program Fidelity And Teacher Decisions: A Case Study Of The Renaissance Learning Program, Jennifer D. Putnam

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the degree to which the fidelity of implementation of the Renaissance Learning program impacts teacher instruction, as well as teacher perception of student reading motivation and achievement. The teachers at a western North Carolina elementary school used the Renaissance Learning program for over 15 years, with little training. The school's end-of-grade test scores in reading were below the state and district averages, indicating that many of the students were struggling readers. At the start of the 2010-2011 school year, the teachers attended a professional development seminar and were trained on the best uses of …

Gifted Education And National Standards: A K--5 Program Evaluation, Debra A. Harwell-Braun

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation of a K-5 Gifted Education Program. Program evaluation addressed how well the gifted education program studied met the National Association of Gifted Children standards. In addition, this study included stakeholder perceptions of the current gifted education program K-5.

This program evaluation utilized the Accreditation Approach as well as the Logic Model for program planning and evaluation. Instruments used included surveys, interview groups, and classroom observations. Review of district evidence to address the standards was completed.

Analyses of the data by geographical region of the district studied provided minimal differences …