Education Commons^™

Transforming A System: Leadership To Implement An Intervention And Referral Services Process That Assists Teachers, Michael Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Improving instruction to meet diverse student needs via early, intensive, and continuing intervention is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to serve all students now and to produce the graduates 21st century society requires. Yet, meaningful school reform with transforming leadership, innovative vision, conversations among teachers, and authentic student achievement still remains elusive today. Our limitations in putting new ideas into practice come not from a lack of will or effort, but, in part, from the influences of our personal stories, mental models, and an immunity to change. This action research study explores educators' perceptions and behaviors in implementing …

Learning Commons And Transitions To College And Workplace, Sharon A. Weiner

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This presentation was given at the Wabash Valley Regional Library Meeting on September 30, 2014 at the Wabash Regional Education Center, West Lafayette, IN. It discusses the concept of learning commons, or spaces outside of the formal classroom setting that are conducive to learning; and the transitions of students to college and the workplace through information and libraries.

Promoting Emotional Intelligence In Adolescence Through Service-Learning, Maggy Hanna, Rosetta Treece

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study addresses emotional intelligence (EI) development, through the implementation of service-learning curricula, in adolescents ages 13-18. An interrupted time series with non-equivalent multi-group design was used for this study. This design included multiple pre-tests, an application of a treatment, and post-tests at varying time interval to eliminate internal invalidity threats due to history and the instrumentation (Gay & Airasian, 2000; Shadish, Cook, & Campell, 2011). In this study, global trait EI scores were used to test the theory that engagement in service-learning can positively impact EI growth in teens in the middle and high school settings. The rationale …

A Feminist Investigation Of Gender Performance Through A Reflection On The Process Of Certification In A Nontraditional Educational Leadership Program, Kimberly Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role of gender performance for aspiring school leaders through a reflection of their journey through the administrative pipeline. The transformation of professional aspirations throughout and following the certification process and during employment was also analyzed. Finally, the appealing factors of a nontraditional administrative preparation program were evaluated to better understand the role of alternative licensure programs in advancing women school leaders. Using heuristic qualitative methods, 18 women graduates of New Jersey's Expedited Certification for Educational Leadership program participated in focus groups and 5 returned for individual interviews. Coding was employed …

A Case Study: The Implementation Of The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards In A Secondary School Setting, Adam Angelozzi

Theses and Dissertations

This study provides insight into the curriculum and policy implementation process of the English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in a secondary high school setting. The most critical factor to successful implementation of both policy and curriculum involves instructional leadership that provides ongoing support and resources through knowledge- and capacity-building activities. McLaughlin (1976) describes that implementation of educational policy constitutes a mutually adaptive process between the policy implementers and the setting; accordingly, changes in relation to the originally intended outcomes occur across the organizational hierarchy and between policy actors (Anderson, 2011; Fullan, 2007; Sabatier & Mazmanian, 1980). …

The Influence Of Community Demographics On Student Achievement On The Connecticut Mastery Test In Mathematics And English Language Arts In Grade 3 Through 8, Albert Nii Lartey Sackey Jr.

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Student achievement has been measured in the United States for decades through the use of standardized state assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine which combination of 15 out-of-school community demographic variables best predicted and accounted for the most variance in a Connecticut school district’s percentages of students scoring goal or above on the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) for the third through eighth grade in Mathematics (Math) and English Language Arts (ELA). Analyses were conducted using both a simultaneous regression model and a hierarchical regression model. This study looked at the entire population of districts that were …

The Role Of Principal Leadership In Special Education: A Delphi Study, Martha Simon

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the New Jersey principal evaluation system coupled with the demands of leading programs for students with disabilities has resulted in the need for school principals to understand and apply leadership skills that will result in successful achievement for all students. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to explore the behaviors, characteristics, skills, and knowledge elementary school principals identify as essential for leading and supporting successful special education programs in public elementary school settings. Twenty-six elementary school principals with a record of success in leading special education programs provided expert insights through three rounds of data collection …

Building Parent Support For Implementation Of Assessment For Learning ( A4 L ) At The High School Level, Sarah Highfill

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers articulate the positive effects of parental engagement with education. Networking with parents has become a recent focus for educational leaders working to enhance learning. With parent presence diminishing within secondary schools and emphasis on formative assessments rising, this study examined the possibility of family support to supplement the Assessment for Learning (A4L) reform implementation. Using an action research framework, four research questions were addressed. These included what attracts parents to support Assessment for Learning (A4L) reforms at the high school level, the value parents place on assessment reform, and what affects parent perceptions and influences their support of the …

Student Motives For Taking Online Courses In Educational Administration, Theodore J. Kowalski, David Alan Dolph, Ila Phillip Young

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study was conducted with students enrolled in a master’s degree program in educational administration at a private research university that offered all required courses in both online and in-class formats. The purposes were to determine (a) the extent to which online courses were selected, (b) the level of importance students placed on four common motives for taking online courses, and (c) levels of association between the importance of values and two demographic variables (employment level and years of teaching experience). The extent to which students took online courses varied considerably. Convenience and flexibility were the most important motives and …

Superintendent Mobility, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

A study nearly 50 years ago categorized superintendents as being either career-bound or place-bound. The former consisted of administrators inclined to advance their career by relocating to a new school district or state. The latter group consisted of administrators who sought internal promotions over relocation.

Two findings from AASA:s latest decennial superintendents' study reveal virtually no change in mobility since 2000. This outcome is somewhat surprising in light of the increases in the number of post-retirement individuals continuing to serve in the superintendency by accepting a job covered by another state's pension system.

Role Ambiguity In An Era Of Accountability: A Collective Case Study Of The Texas School Board President Experience, Kerri Daugbjerg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe role ambiguity for three school board presidents at Rydell Independent School District in Rydell, Texas. In describing role ambiguity as the school board president perceives it, I sought to describe how role ambiguity is impacted by one's self-efficacy, state accountability standards, and transformational leadership capabilities. Research questions framing the study included: How does the school board president's self-efficacy influence role ambiguity? How does role ambiguity impact the school board president as a transformational leader in the district? How do Texas accountability standards impact role ambiguity of the school board president? …

High School Teachers' Mental Model Change As Related To Online Instructional Tools, James Cernansky

Theses and Dissertations

The mental model shift of high school teachers regarding instructional methods related to online instructional tools was examined in this ethnographic study. The actual change in instructional techniques was also examined. Ethnographic research design was employed using teacher interviews, teacher survey, classroom observations, and lesson plan examination. The study took place at a comprehensive public high school in the mid-Atlantic region with approximately 1900 students and 200 staff members. The researcher found that a positive mental model change did occur after one year of a one-to-one iPad initiative. Teachers reported that they used online instructional tools to motivate their students …

Data Driven Decision Making: Data Interplay Within A High School District, Chris Heilig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single embedded case study was to examine how a district data team coordinated by the central office influenced the data driven culture in the district's schools that receive Title I funding. The conceptual framework is centered on conducting the process of data driven decision-making through collaborative leadership and data analysis for the purpose of educational change. The research questions guided the investigation to discover how teachers and administrators are using data to make decisions, their perception of data driven decision-making, and the impact made by central office and building leadership to initiate the change to a …

Providing The Fuel (And Passing The Flame), Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this cliché. However, despite passion being my primary motivator, I am not unwilling to admit that rationale for mentoring can sometimes transcend this ethically normative line of thinking. I believe that there are also sometimes quantitative, …

Click To Agree: Policies Impacting A One-To-One Mobile Learning Environment, Matthew J. Fuller

Dissertations

The focus of this study is to evaluate current and recommend new school board policies to implement and maintain a one-to-one mobile learning initiative using iPads in a K–8 school district. The district’s current acceptable use policy is analyzed and it was determined that no modifications are necessary to govern the new one-to-one initiative. A new administrative procedure is proposed to address issues related to iPad use in and out of the district. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy is proposed for students and staff to supplement the electronic devices provided by the school district. The current acceptable use …

God Has Created Me For Some Definitive Service, Jacqueline P. Kelleher

Jacqueline Kelleher

A hallmark of being Catholic is a concern for and dedication to those in need and our service to others. Jacqueline Kelleher, faculty member in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education at Sacred Heart University, discusses how her studies of the Catholic intellectual tradition moved her to become a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Connecticut's largest, poorest, lowest achieving school district.

The Georgia School Improvement Specialists: A Qualitative Study Exploring Their Roles With Principals Of Middle Schools Identified As Focus Schools, Jessie Adelaide Beaumont

Doctoral Dissertations

While educational initiatives have used external consultants to effect change since the 1950s (Sulla, 1998), understanding their roles and their work has become increasingly important in helping low-performing schools facilitate change and guide the school improvement process (Brady, 2003; Mass Insight Education, 2012; Toppings, 2013). The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to identify and explore the roles Georgia’s school improvement specialists serve when working with principals of middle schools in Focus School status. The benefits and challenges of the school improvement specialists supporting principals with school improvement efforts are identified as well. This study will be framed in …

Educational Reform: A Case Study Of Teachers’ Attitudes, Perceptions, And Engagement Throughout Curricular Reform, G. Colin Castelow

Master of Education Research Theses

This applied research project uses a mixed method approach to analyze curricular reform at a private Christian school in Chesapeake, Virginia. The study aimed to answer two questions regarding curricular reform at the school. Are the teachers seeking to improve the curriculum to which they have been entrusted? Have their attitudes and perceptions regarding the change in template evolved over time? Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, two separate surveys were coded based on the model’s Stages of Concern and Levels of Use. An initial teacher survey provided data and open-ended responses on the participant’s willingness to implement the reformed device. …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction, Teacher Absenteeism, And Intermediate School Achievement In Math And Language Arts: A Correlational Study, Daniel Winters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between teacher absenteeism and student achievement in math and language arts in the rural environment. Classical Economic Theory was used as a foundation in combination with Choice Theory and The Model of Learning to examine the role of the teacher and how the chronically absent teacher impacts the quality of learning for the student. The nature of substitute teaching was reviewed as well as how a break in continuity of instruction, caused by the chronically absent teacher, affects the overall quality of the educational environment. The amount of time teachers are absent from instructional duties …

Perceptions Of State Education Agencies, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Relationships between state government and school districts reflect long-standing tensions involving liberty and equity. In states where the former is emphasized, the authority and scope of responsibilities relegated to state agencies are limited, so local boards and superintendents have considerable leeway to make decisions. In states that exercise centralized controls to provide reasonably equal educational opportunities, localities have less flexibility. Consequently, superintendent survey ratings should be considered in light of such dissimilarities across state education departments.

An AASA superintendency study indicated superintendents held widely differing views of their state education agencies. In general, district enrollment, with one exception, was not …

Impacts Of Daylighting On Preschool Students' Social And Cognitive Skills, Safak Yacan

Interior Design Program: Theses and Other Student Work

The focus of this study is the element of daylight in preschools and its social and cognitive effects on preschoolers. The current study is a correlational study that assesses infants’ social and cognitive developments, and daylight in preschool classrooms. Participants were 69 children (30 boys and 39 girls), aged from four to five, who enrolled in two different early childhood facilities in Van in Turkey. It was hypothesized that preschoolers’ social and cognitive skills would be correlated with daylight in preschool classrooms. Results revealed that there was a crucial correlation between preschool students’ social behavior and cognitive skills and daylight …

Principal Emotional Intelligence And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Middle Schools, Ashley Dawn Meadows Allred

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlational relationship of principals’ emotional intelligence on the perceptions that teachers have of a school’s climate. The Organizational Health Inventory for Middle Schools (OHI-M) served as the assessment for teachers’ perceptions of the school climate or the overall health of the organization. Principals’ emotional intelligence competencies were assessed using the Mayer Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test version 2, hereinafter referred to as the MSCEIT V.2.0. Participants of the study included 22 principals of public middle schools in Mississippi. There was an average of 45 teachers employed at each middle school.

A Pearson …

Eliciting Elementary School Students’ Informal Inferential Reasoning Through Storytelling, Dustin Owen Smith

Dissertations

One growing area of research on statistical learning is Informal Inferential Reasoning (IIR). Makar and Rubin (2009) describe IIR as having three components: making and evaluating inferential claims, supporting claims explicitly with data, and attending to the inherent uncertainty present in statistical inference-making. This dissertation study was built around developing a method for providing opportunities for elementary school students (Grades K, 2, and 4) to engage with IIR within the context of stories and storytelling through a method called Storytelling-Questioning. After interacting with and discussing two separate stories, it was found that students of each grade level were able to …

Implementation Of A Modified Reading Program In An Urban High School Setting, Ann Vayre

Dissertations

READ 180 is a popular reading program among high schools seeking to improve their reading scores. To date, few studies have examined modified versions of the program, with none focusing on the fidelity of implementation. This study examines a modified READ 180 program where scheduling only allowed for a 50-minute per day block of time, in contrast to the 90-minutes utilized in the original design. Research questions focus on urban high school teachers’ usage of READ 180 components and strategies, consistency with the program’s original design, the level of importance teachers attached to each of the components and strategies, and …

Career And Technical Education And The Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award In Education, Patricia Crum-Allen

Dissertations

This study examined Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers in the State of Michigan and their potential alignment with the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award in Education. CTE center leaders and their faculty were asked to provide their perceptions of how well their organizations meet Baldrige quality elements, using a version of the Baldrige Assessment Tool. The study further queried CTE center leaders and their faculty with regard to quality awards received and their desire to pursue an external quality award. Differences between CTE leaders and faculty responses were explored.

This study was quantitative in design using survey research to gather …

Mathematical Content Knowledge For Teaching Elementary Mathematics: A Focus On Whole-Number Concepts And Operations, Eva Thanheiser, Ian Whitacre, George J. Roy

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report represents part of a recent effort to summarize the state of knowledge of prospective elementary teachers' (PTs') mathematics content knowledge and the development thereof. Extensive reviews of the research literature were conducted by a recent PME-NA Working Group across various content areas. This report focuses on whole number and operations. Research in this area is scarce. What we do know from the literature is that PTs' knowledge of whole number and operations is insufficient and in need of improvement. PTs reason about whole numbers and operations in ways that are tied to the standard algorithms. At the same …

Independent Evaluation Of Asic’S Implementation Of The Helping Our Kids Understand Finances Initiative, Robert Simons

Dr Robert Simons

In May 2013, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct an independent evaluation of its implementation of the Helping Our Kids Understand Finances (HOKUF) initiative. The purpose was to conduct an independent evidence-based assessment of whether ASIC implemented the HOKUF initiative in a way that met the following key criteria: 1) Appropriate – the extent to which the program developed by ASIC was useful and ‘fit for purpose’ in supporting the delivery of the consumer and financial literacy content aligned to the Australian Curriculum. 2) Effective − the extent to …

Creating Inclusive Learning Communities For Ell Students: Transforming School Principals' Perspectives, Kathryn Brooks, Susan R. Adams, Trish Morita-Mullaney

Susan Adams

School-level administrators are often concerned about tertiary supports for English language learners (ELLs), such as translating signs and school documents or offering Spanish classes for their teachers. Although modeling and learning the heritage language(s) of the ESL population can be helpful, its focus on language differences can limit our considerations of broader systemic challenges that impact the success of ELLs in our schools. This article shares the dialogues that school administrators are having about ELL students and discusses the use of social justice and equity focused professional learning communities as a way to transform this discourse to address the broader …

More Than A Personality Match? High School Administrator Views On The Process, Factors Relevant, And Effectiveness Of The Selection Of Cooperating Teachers, Julie Lickfelt Pavlini

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors perceived relevant to high school administrators in selecting cooperating teachers in English, math, and science. Qualitative research techniques were used; themes from the data were organized by the research questions and analyzed through the conceptual framework of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Effective Teaching. This study included semi-structured interview probes and two activity components.

All five participants were complimentary of their school's cooperating teacher selection process and identified several traits and factors as important in selecting cooperating teachers: commitment to professional development and continuous learning, enthusiasm for teaching, varied but not …

A Thematic Plan To Promote College And Career Aspirations For Low Socioeconomic Status Students, Althea Kelsey-Chism

Theses and Dissertations

Research has suggested higher education is the most prominent way to ensure mobility from one socioeconomic status to another (Siff, 2006). Just as important is the development of the educational aspirations of low socioeconomic status (SES) students; this is called the predisposition stage (Brown v. the Board of Education, 1954; Perna & Swail, 2001; Walpole, 2003; Wilt, 2006). While much has been written on the subject of higher education of low SES student, Hossler and Gallagher (1987) discuss a three-phase college choice model that precludes the higher education of low SES students. The predisposition stage, as the first stage is …