Education Commons^™

An Evaluation Of A Remedial Reading Program For Middle-Grade Students In A Southeastern State Public School, Susan S. Nichols

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on reading achievement for middle school students after participation in a remedial reading program, Xtreme Reading, at a southeastern state public school. The researcher used Stufflebeam's (2003) context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model to guide the study. A mixed-method research design was used to examine data collected from 80 students in Grades 6 through 8 participating in reading interventions spanning a 1-year period from 2013 through 2014.

There were significant differences in reading achievement scores of students during the 1-year implementation of Xtreme Reading. The findings in this 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 …

Skill Builders: Perceived Skills Enhanced By Students Through Participation In High School Extracurricular Activities, Jonathan H. Hayes

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine what skills or characteristics high school students felt they enhanced through participating in school-based extracurricular activities that might lead to academic success. Various extracurricular activities are offered in high schools, and participation often requires large amounts of student time and effort. Social, academic, and honorary clubs and activities as well as athletic teams were included in this research.

The writer gathered qualitative data from student surveys regarding school-based extracurricular involvement to examine the skills enhanced through participation. All tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade students completed a survey identifying their participation in school-based extracurricular activities while …

The Impact Of The South Carolina Initial Mentor Training On Mentor Teacher Efficacy, Bryan K. Hullender

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of the South Carolina Initial Mentor Training on the self-efficacy of mentor teachers. The study discussed the current training program for mentors in South Carolina and the expected outcomes the training is supposed to produce. The South Carolina Initial Mentor Training was studied in a cohort of nine school districts in the midlands and upstate of South Carolina in partnership with Winthrop University. The expected outcomes of the program were creating professional growth environments for new teachers grounded in the norms of continuous inquiry, ongoing assessment, and problem-solving; recognizing and practicing 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 …

A Program Evaluation Of A Hiring Process In A School District, Charles Westley Wood

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to analyze the effects of the Ventures for Excellence program on the hiring process of a northwestern North Carolina school district. The perceived problem was that in this particular school district there was a need for a hiring instrument that provided a large applicant pool of quality teachers and created an efficient hiring system. There was also a need to have a hiring system that would protect the school district from any legal issues that might arise from the interviewing of teacher applicants.

The setting for this project was a school district located …

Efficacy Of A Growth Mindset Intervention To Increase Student Achievement, Paula Benee' Boozer Wilkins

Education Dissertations and Projects

This research investigation examined the effectiveness of Brainology © , an online/classroom based curriculum, targeted to increase student motivational behavior and academic achievement. Five middle schools within an urban school district in the piedmont region of North Carolina participated in this study. Seventh-grade students and their teachers were the targeted sample (N=684).

A number of school motivational constructs were measured (mindset, effort beliefs, academic self-efficacy, interest and engagement in science, motivation in science, and use of study skills strategies). Teacher ratings of student motivational behavior were used and student academic achievement in math and science was calculated by quarterly grades …

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 …

An Analysis Of Teachers' Classroom Instructional Activities Based On Nwea "Measures Of Academic Progress" (Map) Data, Rhonda S. Medford

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the effectiveness of the Measures of Academic Progress formative assessment tool on the planning, differentiation, and classroom environment at a rural elementary school in western North Carolina. The teachers had used the MAP testing data for over 5 years. The tools used for data collection revealed how the school was using the data and other formative assessment tools for lesson planning and student differentiation, and the effects on classroom environment.

This case study utilized the mixed methods approach in order to successfully collect and analyze the data to develop a conclusion so …

An Evaluation Of A Summer Reading Program At A Public Middle School In A Southeastern State, Michael Waiksnis

Education Dissertations and Projects

Academic achievement loss during the summer is an established fact that is backed by a dearth of research. Most students generally lose academic ground in math during the summer. However, summer learning loss in reading is not shared by all subgroups of students. Students living in poverty lose, on average, 3 months of academic learning while other students gain or stay the same over the summer months. This is of major concern to schools and districts as they struggle to close the achievement gap.

A middle school in a southeastern state created a reading program that guaranteed access to books …

An Investigation Of Factors Affecting Student Performance In Algebraic Word Problem Solutions, Jerry Eugene Wright

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to investigate the potential significance of several student algebraic word problem solving skills. The solution of an algebra word problem (AWP) requires the creation and solution of an equation based on the problem context. Common Core State Standards in both English Language Arts and Mathematics emphasize student learning and proficiency in algebra word problem contexts. Eight factors of student mathematical ability were proposed, and three of those eight factors were studied in depth to determine their significance. Similar research supported the theory that the translation phase of the solution process presented the student with the most …