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Full-Text Articles in Education
Mutual Fund Of The Minds: A Correlational Study On Education And The Economy At The State Level, Aaron Jay Bredenkamp
Mutual Fund Of The Minds: A Correlational Study On Education And The Economy At The State Level, Aaron Jay Bredenkamp
Student Work
During his tenure, President Barak Obama promoted education as a key to economic prosperity. However, in the post recession economy, many states reduced school funding. In Nebraska, the Governor attempted to reduce taxes for voters, while the Legislature examined how to balance the budget with a school funding formula that continually called for increased funding. Chapter One outlines this ongoing conflict between state and federal policy. Chapter Two provides a historical context of school finance policy with the state of Nebraska’s school finance history being provided in even greater detail. The indicators used to measure the economic impact of education …
An Evaluation Of A Support Program For First-Generation College Students, Aaron Krueger
An Evaluation Of A Support Program For First-Generation College Students, Aaron Krueger
Student Work
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a support program for first-generation college students. A qualitative study was conducted evaluating the Young Scholars Program from the perspectives of program participants. Data was collected through interviews with eight current and former program participants. The following research questions informed this study: 1. How do students perceive the program to be impacting their academic experience? 2. How do students perceive the program to be impacting their social experience? 3. How do students perceive the program to be impacting their career development experience? Through analysis of the data, three major themes emerged: Relationships, …
Rates Of Poverty And Special Education Students Among Open Enrollment Students, Heather D. Nebesniak
Rates Of Poverty And Special Education Students Among Open Enrollment Students, Heather D. Nebesniak
Student Work
The school choice movement is gaining momentum across the nation. More now that ever, families are looking beyond their local neighborhood schools to find a school that they feel reflects their educational values. Societal structures are changing and families look to the schools to provide resources that were historically outside the school realm. At-risk students, such as students living in poverty and students requiring special education services both require a greater pool of resources. In order to plan for enrollment growth and to meet student needs, educational administrators are faced with the task of predicting needs of students and securing …
Traditional Vs. Blended: The Effect Of Instruction Methods On Sixth Grade Pre-Algebra Students’ Performance And Perceptions, Lynn Marie Spady
Traditional Vs. Blended: The Effect Of Instruction Methods On Sixth Grade Pre-Algebra Students’ Performance And Perceptions, Lynn Marie Spady
Student Work
This study examined sixth grade students’ math performance under two models of instruction: traditional and blended. Blended instruction requires face-to-face learning with an instructor, but allows students to do a portion of the work independently online. Traditional instruction takes place with an instructor present at all times. One area of interest in this study was the level of procedural knowledge acquired under the two different models of instruction. Results from three different assessments indicated no significant difference between the two groups of students. An additional area of interest was students’ preferences in teaching strategies in math and approaches to learning. …
A Program Evaluation Using Stufflebeam’S Cipp Model To Evaluate Educational Service Unit 2 (Esu 2) Consortium For Special Education Of Administration Services (Cases), Jodie L. Sams
Student Work
The purpose of the study is to conduct a program evaluation utilizing Stufflebeam’s 2007 CIPP Model to determine if the Educational Service Unit 2 (ESU 2) Consortium for Administration of Special Education Services (CASES) effectively serves CASES member districts. The results of the program evaluation is intended to provide Educational Service Unit 2 (ESU 2) with results and feedback on how 1) to determine the extent to which CASES has successfully met program goals (Product Evaluation), efficiently utilized resources (Input Evaluation), and appropriately selected and implemented program activities (Process Evaluation), and 2) to examine how the program was developed (Context …
District-Created Response To Intervention In High School Mathematics: A Program Evaluation Integrating Social Cognitive Theory, Elizabeth M. Wessling
District-Created Response To Intervention In High School Mathematics: A Program Evaluation Integrating Social Cognitive Theory, Elizabeth M. Wessling
Student Work
The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the effectiveness of students' daily participation in a supplementary high school mathematics class, a Math Lab, as an intervention in mathematics. The study was conducted using three components that integrated Albert Bandura's social cognitive learning theory about the reciprocal causality of personal, environmental, and behavioral elements of the learning process. Math Lab students were given adapted portions of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, MSLQ, of Pintrich et al. (as cited in Opdecam, Everaert, VanKeer, & Buysschaert, 2013) and a researcher-created survey. The math portion of the Measures of Academic Progress assessment …
An Investigation Of Education Leaders’ Perceptions Of Their Knowledge Of Special Education Law, Kendra Schneider
An Investigation Of Education Leaders’ Perceptions Of Their Knowledge Of Special Education Law, Kendra Schneider
Student Work
The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the perceptions of candidates in the Educational Leadership program at the University of Nebraska Omaha regarding their knowledge and understanding of special education law, including the areas of Free Appropriate Public Education, Child Find, Least Restrictive Environment, Procedural Safe Guards, and Related Services. It further analyzed whether UNO Educational Leadership graduate students’ opinions are related to school district size, professional experience, administrative experience, or area of certification. When thinking about the considerable amount of training and knowledge it takes to be well versed in the rules and regulations of special education, …
Equitable Student Engagement: A Correlation Between Personalized Learning, Student Engagement, And Poverty Level, Andrea Yeager Neuzil
Equitable Student Engagement: A Correlation Between Personalized Learning, Student Engagement, And Poverty Level, Andrea Yeager Neuzil
Student Work
The student population in classrooms across America is growing increasingly diverse in socio-economic background, schema, and learning styles; however, far too many academic programs are designed for a “one size fits all approach” that does not engage students. Educational leaders who promote new ways to personalize instruction in order to improve student engagement reap benefits far beyond what is expected. The researcher investigates the relationship of personalized learning and student engagement and socio-economic status. Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of student engagement as a means to improve academic achievement, school climate, and family and community involvement. The researcher includes …
Predictability Of Hiring Mechanisms For Elementary Teachers, Troy Juracek
Predictability Of Hiring Mechanisms For Elementary Teachers, Troy Juracek
Student Work
This study focused on hiring the best teachers to determine if the use of commercially available teacher selection mechanisms resulted in hiring teachers having a greater impact on reading achievement. There is substantial research related to the use of interviews for teacher selection (Mertz, 2010). However, limited research exists reviewing commercial interview protocols with improvement of academic achievement (District Administration, 2015). There was a significant main effect comparing reading achievement outcomes between Title 1 and Non-Title 1 building and there was a significant relationship between applicant screeners. The district has effective selection mechanisms, inclusive of the HUMANeX protocols; however, the …
At The Intersection Of Gender And Race: A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Female Elementary Principals, Andrea M. Haynes
At The Intersection Of Gender And Race: A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Female Elementary Principals, Andrea M. Haynes
Student Work
This study examined the “lived experiences” related to race, gender, and the construct of time for five African American female elementary principals. The study specifically explored the intersectionality of race and gender. Through a qualitative phenomenological framework, the study aimed to research the implications of race and gender, at a specific point in time, for African American females in the elementary principalship. A phenomenological research method, that included semi-structured interviews, was employed to capture the essence of the participants’ stories and to fully understand their common experiences. Critical Race theory and Feminism theory were used as an intersecting lens for …
After Alice: The Implementation Of An Active Shooter/School Intruder Training Program In K-12 Schools, Deborah Gleich-Bope
After Alice: The Implementation Of An Active Shooter/School Intruder Training Program In K-12 Schools, Deborah Gleich-Bope
Student Work
In an ever-changing world filled with violence, school districts are consistently faced with the task of having to help school-aged children deal with personal and public tragedies. Teachers and administrators should possess a skill set that will allow then to be positive and effective leaders and role models during times of crisis within the school building or district. Since many students are not yet mature enough to realize how to appropriately handle crisis situations, it is of great importance that school districts are providing knowledge and resources to their employees and students in order to effectively handle stressful situations. Since …
The Relationship Between Teachers’ Instructional Practices, Professional Development, And Student Achievement, Denise M. Hoge
The Relationship Between Teachers’ Instructional Practices, Professional Development, And Student Achievement, Denise M. Hoge
Student Work
The power of an effective teacher has been recognized for years. The teacher in the classroom has the greatest influence on student learning and achievement. This basic premise has been forced to the forefront of educational debate because the measurement of student learning and achievement is tied to state, national, and international assessments and American students are not at the top. If students are not performing well, then teachers must be responsible. The purpose of this study was to analyze how teacher instructional practices and teacher involvement in professional development are related to student achievement on the Nebraska State Accountability …
Contemplative Early Childhood Leadership, Mongkonrat Parks
Contemplative Early Childhood Leadership, Mongkonrat Parks
Student Work
Contemplative preschool has a unique character and background that incorporates contemplative philosophy into early education. Contemplative early childhood leaders have also played a major role in synchronizing contemplative pedagogy with leadership skills in a unique school culture. These leaders have a direct impact on the quality and productivity of the student’s education. Studying the leaders’ professional growth will benefit early childhood educators in understanding contemplative leadership roles in a historical and contextual environment. The purpose of this collective case study is to understand how contemplative school leaders implement contemplative education in their personal and professional lives. This study is an …
Investigating Educators’ Perceptions Of Stem Integration: A Semi-Structured Interview Approach, Brian K. Sandall
Investigating Educators’ Perceptions Of Stem Integration: A Semi-Structured Interview Approach, Brian K. Sandall
Student Work
The study utilized a semi-structured interview approach to identify phenomena that are related to integrated STEM education by addressing the question, what are the critical components of an integrated STEM definition and what critical factors are necessary for an integrated STEM definition’s implementation? Thirteen expert practitioners were identified and interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for content in three different ways, by person, by interview question, and across all interviews using exploratory data analysis methods. Ten identified phenomena were grouped into two classes: structural implementation phenomena and interpersonal implementation phenomena. The structural implementation phenomena were: subject integration/project-based learning/design-based education, …
A Product Evaluation Of The Selective Abandonment Process For School Budgeting, Christopher M. Loofe
A Product Evaluation Of The Selective Abandonment Process For School Budgeting, Christopher M. Loofe
Student Work
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree to which the Selective Abandonment budget process objectives were achieved by analyzing stakeholder perceptions. Use of this evaluation may enable the district to become more effective, efficient, and more fiscally responsible when developing future program budgeting plans. Program evaluation was used as a guideline for collecting data about the district’s newly created Selective Abandonment budgeting process. Defined, Selective Abandonment is a process aimed to reduce or eliminate programs or services that fail a cost-benefit analysis and lack a clear, mission-related need. Specifically, this research will focus Daniel Stufflebeam’s CIPP Model. …