Education Commons^™

Combining Cognitive And Noncognitive Assessments To Predict First Year Gpa And Persistence In Community College Students, David Harris Larman

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Standard assessments of cognitive ability have been the preferred method of assessing the probability of student achievement at community colleges, but there is a growing trend in the use of noncognitive factors to assess student potential. Factors related to a student’s race/ethnicity and family income have been shown to be correlated with placement tests scores and high school grades. There is a gap in the literature about the use of noncognitive measures in conjunction with standardized placement tests to predict the achievement and persistence of community college students. The purpose of this study was to examine the strength of cognitive …

Understanding Superintendents’ Approaches To The Implementation Of District Systems In The Context Of A Crisis, Jarad C. Munroe

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a crisis that district superintendents and their leadership teams had not before experienced. In a matter of weeks, school systems needed to transition away from a traditional learning model, where teaching and learning occurred in a physical classroom, to a virtual learning environment. School districts were provided little time to strategically develop a model to transform their systems to continue to meet student learning goals. The districts were still expected to fully operate, while prioritizing the acquisition of resources that could provide the means for a deliberate shift to establish a virtual learning system. This qualitative …

Work Beyond The Work: Amplifying How Black Women Educators Experience Teacher Preparation Programs, Chéleah Victoria Googe

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The representation of Black teachers in the field of K-12 education has declined significantly in the last forty years (Ingersoll, 2011; Milner & Howard, 2004). Once considered a pathway to the middle class for Black Americans, teaching was a sought-after profession for Black folks for job stability (Collier, 2002). While there is extensive research on the experiences of teachers of color, and what might lead to their attrition in the teaching profession, Black women experience a specific intersection of race, class, and gender that affects their sustainability in the teaching profession that deserves exploration.

This qualitative research study examined the …

Values And Power As Levers To Influence Accountability Policy In Virginia: A Case Study, Angela M. Rhett

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The education landscape has been inundated in recent decades with a plethora of accountability measures. New mandates and processes are conceived at the hands of policymakers, and concepts such as power and values are at the core of accountability changes. The purpose of this research study was to uncover the web of unwritten structures and systems in place that influence the educational accountability policy process using complexity theory as the guiding theoretical framework (Shoup & Studer, 2010). Complexity theory dispels the notion of simplistic cause and effect relationships as predictors for accountability trends, and, instead, posits the multiplicity of factors …

The Lived Experiences Of Students In A Summer Bridge Ninth Grade Transition Program: A Phenomenological Case Study, Ricardo C. Randall

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of students in one summer bridge program as they transitioned to high school. Every year, eighth grade middle school students go through the process of making the transition from middle school to high school. For many students, the transition to high school is the most difficult of all transitions. In order to assist students to successfully transition to high school, many school districts in our nation have implemented Middle School to High School Summer Bridge Programs to augment academic achievement and strengthen the essential skills needed for the preparation …

The Creation Of Successful Student Subjects: Foucault’S Power/Knowledge Framework And The Danger Of Failing Early Alert, Sue Ann Cecilia Curran

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of learning analytics is to improve and optimize learning using student data (Siemens, 2013). An early alert warning is learning analytics designed to promote student success (Baneres et al., 2019; Foung, 2019; Lawson et al., 2016; Villano et al., 2018). An early alert has an intervention component that includes, at minimum, an email that provides information about college resources to address the issue (Arnold & Pistilli, 2012). Some early alert interventions include a personal outreach by a staff member at the college through a phone call or text message (Choi et al., 2018).

At Care Community College, when …

Hiding In Plain Sight: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Male Educators In School Leadership, Jeryl Kimbrough-Scott

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With the changing landscape of America’s K-12 student population becoming a myriad of ethnicities, the importance of diversifying school leadership is critical to reflect the varying groups represented in the student population. Khalifa et al. (2016) and Talbert-Johnson (2006) attest that the development of culturally responsive programs is necessary to address the needs and experiences of a diverse population. Similarly, the premise of teacher preparation programs that are predominantly white and middle class need additional initiatives to better prepare candidates in working with diverse populations (Browne-Ferrigno, 2011; Carpenter & Diem, 2013; Ford et al., 2020; Hampton et al., 2008; Khalifa, …

Investigating The Process Of Consequential Validity With The Ambassador Questionnaire, Melissa Gayle Kuhn

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Validity in psychometrics refers to the degree to which evidence and theory supports the interpretations drawn from a test, and Messick’s Contemporary Validity Theory (1994) includes several facets with well-established evidence collection methods. However, there is a lack of consensus on appropriate methods of evaluating the facet of consequential validity, which is the degree to which interpretation of scores could have consequences for test-takers. The primary objective of this study was to illustrate a method of identifying potential consequences of survey in the stage of manual development. This method was placed in the context of the Ambassador Questionnaire (AQ) used …

Underrepresentation Of Black Males In Gifted Education: A Phenomenology Study Of The Underrepresentation Of Black Males In Gifted Education, James A. Holemon Jr.

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The underrepresentation of Black males in gifted education is an issue that all educators acknowledge and understand. What we are less clear on is the influential factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of Black males in gifted education. Therefore, this research will focus on the phenomenology of gifted coordinators and administrators and their subjective experiences as students and educational leaders and how those perceptions and experiences impact systemic educational processes in the identification and selection process of gifted students. A phenomenological approach is utilized to highlight the voices and personal experiences of the practitioners who are on the ground as …

Case Study Of A District-University Partnership: Developing Culturally Responsive Educators In A Rural Setting, Trenice Shauntel Durio

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Using a theoretical framework of critical race theory and conceptual frameworks of cultural education, this study explores the intersection of district-university partnerships and culturally responsive education. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to examine the formulation and outcomes of a district-university partnership established to offer a college level course focused on anti-discrimination, equity and inclusion, and social justice in schools. Using survey data, I explored the relationship between participation in the course and the participants’ self-reflection in the areas of empathic concern and perspective taking, preparation for culturally responsive teaching and equitable practices, and comfortability with discussions …

Human Resource Officer's Perspectives On Recruitment And Hiring Practices Of Diverse Candidates, Tara Kelton Mcdaniel

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

A wealth of research supports the positive impact minority teachers have on all students, but especially minority students. Benefits include an increase in academic achievement, an increase in educational engagement, and an overall sense of self-efficacy and autonomy. Unfortunately minority teachers and teachers of color are significantly underrepresented in the United States teaching workforce compared to their White counterparts. Challenges for diversifying the teaching workforce include historical factors of racism and suppression, the Whiteness of educator preparation programs as the prevailing ideology, and the presence of toxic work environment conditions during field placements and employment. While many historical and contemporary …

Enrollment Management Strategies As A Result Of Covid-19 At Rural Community Colleges, Robin Christine Daniel

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Higher education institutions world-wide were impacted by the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning in early 2020. COVID-19 caused a disruption in services to students and resulted in pivots of teaching, learning, and student support. Community colleges differ from four-year counterparts through varying student demographics, funding sources, mission and foci, and student intentions. Community college enrollment is affected by economic, employment, and social trends. Enrollment management practices changes as campus operations for student support changed to remote support. COVID-19 forced administrators at colleges to make quick decisions. This study examined the perceptions of academic administrators at rural community colleges regarding how …

Active Military Student Persistence In Online Courses At California Community Colleges, Stephanie E. Gernert

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The diversity of higher education institutions is changing, and more post-traditional students, including those associated with the military, are engaging in higher education. Almost every post-secondary institution in the United States has military students. In 2020, $11.5 billion was spent on over 875,000 eligible military students. Military students often prefer online courses at community colleges due to flexibility around their military career, open-access, and affordability.

Yet, few studies examine active military servicemembers alone and, when research is performed, a lack of thorough data collection exists. Therefore, this study focused on active military students in online education in California Community Colleges. …

The Relationship Between Optional Developmental Education Enrollment And The Mathematics Achievement Of Students At One Community College In Florida, Andrea Lisa Lee

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Although nearly half of community college students require some type of remediation, less than one-third of the students who start in developmental education graduate within eight years (Park, Tandberg, Hu, & Hankerson, 2016). As such, there is great uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of developmental education (Ari et al., 2016; Bailey et al., 2013). Additionally, because most institutions rely on standardized testing to determine student course placements, many critics blame placement testing procedures for the perceived ineffectiveness of developmental education (Fletcher, 2014; Jaggars & Hodara, 2013). However, rather than adjust placement procedures, some states moved away from mandated placement, and in …

"Quality-Less” Higher Education: Relationship And Neocolonialism In International Development In Afghanistan, Wolayat Tabasum

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study aimed to explore the internal quality assurance and accreditation (QAA) policy at University X in Afghanistan. A single case study and document review methods were chosen to examine the policy implementation process and its perceived effectiveness at a single university. This case study also explored faculty members' perceptions toward QAA, the policy's impact on teaching and learning, and the opportunities and challenges it might offer. The findings of the study produced unexpected and expected results. The expected findings were tailored around social relationships, labor division, the hierarchy of labor, incompatibility of the policy, and their impact on the …

Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching Clinical Reasoning At The Patient Bedside, Rebecca Gale White

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Nurse educators meet frequently in conference settings and peer groups seeking an answer to “How do you do clinical?”. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore faculty perceptions of clinical teaching experiences at the patient bedside at a level one or two associate’s degree nursing program by faculty within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) that teach a rural student population.

Rural students struggle with work-life barriers that complicate their educational journey. This was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that presented new challenges to the way nursing education could be delivered creating a need for on line …

Instructional Staff Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Leadership, Sherrell J. Hendrix

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The rise of accountability standards has resulted in an increase of attention regarding the academic achievement of minority student populations. Instructional leadership styles that operate within frameworks that specifically address race and ethnicity have been shown to be positively correlated with academic outcomes of both majority and minority student populations. Culturally responsive leadership is one of these frameworks. While the literature offers a robust vision of the behaviors and subsequent results of culturally responsive leadership, we do not yet know the perceptions held by instructional staff regarding the culturally responsive leadership of their school leader. This lack of knowledge can …