Education Commons^™

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Peer Mediation Program In An Elementary School Setting, Theresa M. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a peer mediation program on students with behavioral problems and conflicts using an action research design. Further, it informed teachers, administrators, parents, and the guidance department as to the progress of the program.

All students at Mennies Elementary School in Vineland had, if needed, the opportunity to be involved in the conflict resolution program. The participants in the program were in traditional, bilingual, and special education classes. All stakeholders served as the primary data-gathering instruments in the research. To determine if peer mediation improved the climate in …

Evaluation In-Service Program For Professional Development, Aida Colon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if an in-service would help the staff gain knowledge and experience in dealing and interacting with different languages and cultures that are represented in the school.

The staff was given an in-service, part of which placed them in different situations and required them to think and react to how they felt in that situation. There was a group of twenty students from different languages and cultures. The students spoke on how they felt being in a country where they did not understand the new culture and language. There was also a question …

Evaluating The Effectiveness And Use Of The Peer Mediation Program In The Galloway Township Middle School, Susan Kerrigan

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and use of the peer mediation program in the Galloway Township Middle School in order to improve the program and increase its use.

Data was gathered using four separate research instruments. These instruments included a survey, monitoring the Peer Mediation Reports and interviews with the building administrators and the schools peer mediators. These methods were used to obtain the students' and staff members' perceptions of the process regarding its use and ways to improve the program.

It was concluded that peer mediation is used and supported by the teachers and administrators, however, …

School-Based Management: Leadership Hand In Hand, Terrence O'Connor Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study, conducted in order to determine the effectiveness of the school-based management team, occurred at the Reeds Road Elementary School. An action research design, using both surveys and interviews, assisted in obtaining the data necessary to make an appropriate determination of the initiative's effectiveness in providing staff with more say in school affairs, as well as positively affecting the school's climate. Twenty-two staff members, chosen randomly to best represent all areas of the school's staff population, completed surveys regarding the school-based management team. In addition, six different staff members were also chosen randomly to participate in an interview process. …

The Effects Of The Development And Implementation Of The School Sanctuary Program On Safety And The Climate Of Safety At Egg Harbor Township High School, Theodore Pugliese

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of the school sanctuary program on safety and the climate of safety at Egg Harbor Township High School (EHTHS), Using a case-study design, 56 teachers were first surveyed to provide a description of the climate of safety in the high school. It was found that, on average, the staff felt physically, psychologically, socially, and morally safe. Teachers also used the word safe to describe the overall climate of safety at school. Furthermore, this data would be used as a baseline for further comparisons and was to help the …

Diversity In Education: Changing Faces, Angela Rose-Bounds

Theses and Dissertations

As America becomes more and more diverse, public schools are forced to adapt to the changing faces in education. The purpose of this study was to promote culturally responsive teaching and analyze programs that impact non-Asian minority students in a suburban school district. The intern used observations, surveys, and interviews to study programs at the Charles W. Lewis Middle School in Blackwood, New Jersey. The research began by examining the school's culture and then went on to form committees and groups to promote diversity throughout the building. During this research, the intern determined that non-Asian minority students were disproportionately represented …

Building A Professional Learning Community, Joanne T. Acerba

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of staff morale and student achievement levels through the formation of a professional learning community at the Ann A. Mullen Middle School in Sicklerville, New Jersey.

The project involved an analysis of the current school culture through small group and individual interviews, a survey, and an examination of the most recent standardized test scores. The researcher involved the entire staff in the creation of a shared mission statement as well as a shared vision statement to form the building blocks of a professional learning community. Teacher study groups were formed, …

Evaluation Of Custodial Staff Members, Roseanne Donnelly

Theses and Dissertations

This study of custodial evaluation forms was conducted to develop or revise the current form being used in the Mt. Holly School District. Requests for information from surrounding school districts were used to find what similar-sized schools were using and whether they were effective. The sample included eleven school districts in Burlington County, New Jersey. The requests were faxed to the selected school districts requesting they fax back a copy of their current custodial evaluation methods and any written procedures. Interviews were also chosen to get the staff's perspective. The sample included five custodians, the Business Administrator, and the Facilities …

Analysis Of Small Learning Communities On Suburban Schools, Matthew G. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

Students in large schools are getting lost. In a school of over 2300 students, it is very easy for a student, who does not excel academically or athletically or those students who gain attention through negative behavior, to blend into the student body for four years without being noticed. Across the nation the move to create smaller learning communities has been an attempt to solve the ills that plague our inner city schools. The intended question of this study is whether or not the smaller learning communities will have the same measurable impact in a suburban district.

The data collected …

How Can Technology Be Used To Improve Instruction And Student Learning?, Frank Corley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to research techniques for integrating technology into the curriculum in order to improve the learning of the students. This was accomplished through analyzing material submitted by the Clearview Middle School's teachers and through the research of the intern. Four different requests for technology information were distributed to the teachers. Only 10% of the teachers submitted material for the handbook. The limited amount of information received after the requests resulted in a technology questionnaire that was used to define the teachers' technology aptitudes and determine how technology was being utilized in the school. The results …

The Integration Of Personnel And Budgetary Software Databases At Upper Deerfield Township Schools, Bruce D. Harbinson

Theses and Dissertations

To better serve district needs, the business office developed integrated personnel and budget relational database applications that have the capability to store, compile, forecast, report, and seamlessly transfer in real time. The Microsoft Access server-based programs produce most mandated state and district reports and have the flexibility to incorporate new informational data fields to meet the demands of the ever-changing roles and accountabilities in today's educational field.

The research project is utilizing expert non-probability sampling because the stakeholders have demonstrable experience and expertise in this particular area or field and the population is the same size as the sample. The …

Analysis Of Instructional Technology In The Runnemede School District, David Gentile

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of technology as a tool of instructional delivery. The results informed teachers, administrators, and board members of their current technology status and served in the development of future goals. The goal of the study was to survey the professional teaching staff to gather input and create a focus group to analyze the results.

The Intern surveyed the professional teaching staff at the Volz Middle School to assess how technology was being used to deliver instruction in the Runnemede Public School District. The Intern interviewed a focus group to …

Distance Learning In The Pitman School District: A Window On The World, Marsha K. Hahn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how a well-developed procedure to facilitate the use of distance learning technology would impact teaching practice and student achievement at Pitman High School. As part of the action research, the intern conducted a survey using a questionnaire that employed a Likert-type format. The population for the study consisted of a sample of the teaching staff from Pitman Schools representing an elementary school, middle and high school. Each of these schools had distance learning technology available. The intern analyzed the results of the survey, and computed the mean response to each question for …

Has Technology Created A Safer School Environment?, Mark Leung

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold. It was to determine and evaluate the effectiveness of technological advances on the maintenance operations of a school district's facilities. It was also to determine and evaluate the types, amounts, and locations of technology equipment implementations in school districts and how these implementations have affected the school environment's overall safety.

Forty-two school districts in Burlington County, New Jersey were surveyed using a questionnaire with twenty-two queries. The survey targeted Directors of Buildings and Grounds and the surveys were distributed and collected via electronic-mail or facsimile. The survey data was analyzed using the SPSS …

The Professional Roundtable: Developing Novice Teachers, Tanya Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of a program developed for novice teachers are examined in this document. Data was derived from information obtained during interviews conducted by the intern, as well as entry and exit surveys. The study begins by addressing the nation's impending teacher shortage which can be linked to the retention of novice teachers. This section expounds upon the need to properly develop novice teachers in order to retain their services.

The next section is a review of the literature which explains the status of the educational system as it relates to novice teachers. Following this review, a design of the …

The Effects Of Administrative Change On School Environment, Dale H. Horner

Theses and Dissertations

Administrative change in education is inevitable. However, successful administrative change is not. Successful administrative change requires Boards of Education and the new leaders they create to think of the administrative change as a process not an isolated act. The newly created leader must clearly and consistently communicate his vision with the shareholders. He must allow the shareholders to question and respond to his vision until together they make a new vision, one which they can all embrace. He must have and effectively convey a transition plan that will bring the shareholders from the past, which they know and accept, across …

An Integration Approach To Character Education In The High School, Janet T. Farrell

Theses and Dissertations

Character education provides many opportunities for students to learn how to be responsible citizens in their schools and communities by developing moral and virtuous traits. However, this path to maturity seems to create many challenges for today's students. Recent events in public schools and today's society have demonstrated that society has failed to adequately help students to meet these challenges. Although blame can be placed on the family or schools, schools must address the dilemma and try to correct it. The implementation of a character education program at the high school level and the incorporation of this program into the …

Bully-Proofing, Kevin M. Mcgloin

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if the existing Bully-Proofing Program at the Reeds Road Elementary School is working effectively. Utilizing an action research design, fifth and sixth graders completed a bully-proofing survey during the 2002-2003 academic year. This survey elicited student observations and actions of bullying within the school. Forty surveys were randomly chosen for analysis with the final research population being twenty fifth graders and twenty sixth graders (20 female/20 male). In analyzing the results, verbal bullying was responded to the most, outweighing all other forms. Another statistic is that boys were identified as bullies, more so than …

Implementation Of A Peer Mediation Program, Darin B. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to examine and describe the implementation of the peer mediation program at Ulysses S. Wiggins Elementary School. In the past few decades, with the rise of school campus violence, models of conflict resolution programs including peer mediation have rapidly increased in popularity in which students assist their peers in resolving disputes. Peer mediation at Wiggins Elementary School offered training and counseling to students who would become peer mediators to help other students manage their conflict without the use of violence. Significantly, the study was action based in its design to find out what components would be …

Parental Involvement As A Tool To Lower Repeat Suspension Offenses, Steven W. Price

Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement in education has been sought after for decades. The purpose of this study was to involve parents in the discipline process and thereby reduce repeat discipline offense. The intern offered the opportunity for involvement to the parents of tenth grade students who received their first out-of-school suspension. The study took place during the first semester of the 2002- 2003 school year. Parents were asked to participate in this study by answering a short survey and by discussing the incident with their child at home.

The sample population included all of the tenth grade students. A limited sample included …

School Reform: The Impact On Teaching Practices, Carol J. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of school reform on teaching practices at the Middle School of Pleasantville. The district, a special needs (Abbott district), receives 85% of its funding from the state, therefore must provide all children with a "Thorough and Efficient" education.

The overall approach of this study was to use a survey to investigate the effects of school reform on teaching practices. Thirty teachers of grades 5-8, representing a variety of subject areas, completed a survey. The survey was used to determine if professional development provided teachers with effective support throughout the change …

The Development And Implementation Of A Multifaceted Model For Differentiated Teacher Evaluation To Improve Student Achievement, Nancy L. Schumacher

Theses and Dissertations

Effective teacher evaluation is a meaningful experience that improves student achievement. The first purpose of this study was to examine the current evaluation system used in a special services school district in southern New Jersey. The second was to revise that system to reflect current research-based practice. An examination of the district's evaluation procedures, data from a questionnaire, and interviews with teachers revealed that the current system did not reflect their varied expectations and experience and was limited to classroom observations. The Personnel Evaluation Committee developed a new differentiated model of teacher evaluation. It uses a collection of data from …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Crisis Management For The Staff Of The Uptown School Complex, Michele Tourigian-Mcgettigan

Theses and Dissertations

The Uptown School Complex has a crisis management plan that needs to be reviewed, updated, and practiced by staff members. In the past year, our country has gone through radical changes with security and crisis management that also need to be addressed in our schools. The focus of this study is to ensure that all staff members are aware of the current crisis management plan and to revise and update the plan.

The purpose of this study is to provide a highly effective organizational unit for dealing with a variety of crises by evaluating the effectiveness of the current crisis …

Innovative Scheduling, Brian J. Barg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an academic schedule that was well-thought, thorough, consistent, and beneficial to students' academic achievement. The use of a block scheduling formula for the high school meant providing students and teachers with an opportunity to innovatively and creatively interact in the learning process, while using time-on-task in an efficient manner. Utilizing an innovative schedule determined how teachers used pedagogy to improve academic performance. Innovative scheduling made a contribution to scholarly research, scholarly work, student interest, and cooperative learning.

The intern reviewed research regarding the advantages of block scheduling. In order to gather input …

The Effects Of Instruction Utilizing The Arts On The Academic Achievement Of Fourth-Grade Students, Elizabeth Fallin Manning

Doctoral Dissertations

In this day of accountability, members of state government agencies are looking for ways to increase student achievement, especially in the area of high stakes testing. Louisiana's accountability program has yielded state curriculum standards which identify the content that should be taught by specific grade levels. Teachers are now charged with the responsibility of finding methods to teach these standards. With all of the attention to these academic standards, what is the role of the arts? The Louisiana Institute for Education in the Arts (LAIEA) suggests that the arts are the tools with which to teach these academic standards. This …

The Extent To Which Teachers And Principals Perceive High Schools As Learning Organizations, Scott Kemple

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to conduct an assessment of the culture and leadership of a sample of Michigan high schools as perceived by their teaching staff and principals.

The variables of culture and leadership are primary indicators of whether a school is viewed as a learning organization by the faculty, staff and administration of the school (Leithwood et al., 2001). Five primary questions were examined: (1) To what extent are high schools perceived as learning organizations by their principals? (2) To what extent are high schools perceived as learning organizations by their teachers? (3) Is there a difference …

The Importance Of Instructional Leadership Behaviors Of Principals As Perceived By Middle School Teachers And Principals, Peter Litchka

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Through Their Eyes: Five Maine Principals Explore Their Learning About Leadership, Anita M. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rising expectations for school leadership are placing unprecedented pressures on school principals. No longer able to limit their work to the traditional management functions, principals must now lead the improvement of student achievement, staff learning, and community involvement Given the consuming nature of the principalshp, principals have a variety of learning needs. The literature on principals' learning is weighted with prescriptions written by those outside the principalship. Absent from this literature is the voice of the principal himself or herself. The purpose of this research was to explore principals' learning needs "from the inside out" in order to understand what …

Factors Associated With The Decision Not To Become 7–12 Principals By Those Holding The License, Gail Moorman Behrens

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to find out from educators who held the requisite credentials to be a secondary principal, but were not serving in that position, why fewer licensed educators are choosing to apply for secondary principal positions. This investigation was initiated because a shortage of qualified secondary principals in the state of Iowa had been indicated.

Four research questions were utilized with a quantitative research approach. A survey instrument was mailed to a sample of Iowa educators holding the Iowa 7-12 principal license but not serving 7-12 principal positions. The final sample included 131 responses which represented …

Not For The Faint Of Heart: The Social Construction Of Oregon Charter Schools, Anthony Dean Valley

Dissertations and Theses

Over the past two decades, pressure to both reform public education and provide educational choices for families has led to the creation of charter schools. Charter schools are based on the premise of operational autonomy in exchange for accountability for agreed upon results. Their appeal is widespread, with over 2,000 charter schools opening in the United States since 1990.

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study is to describe the process of initiating a charter school. Eight key informants representing five Oregon charter schools were included in the study. These key informants were directly involved in the formation of their …