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Organisational Improvement Plan: System Of Care, Derek Haime

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) describes a way to develop and implement a system of care philosophy within a district school board with the intent of spreading this philosophy throughout the district, province, and country in the future. It is intended to be used as a tool to guide other district school boards interested in implementing a system of care. More specifically, the problem of practice this OIP is intended to address is as follows: “The current model of care for JK-8 students with mental health needs must improve. The service delivery system and pathways to treatment for child and …

Investigating The Relationship Between Arabic-Speaking Iraqi Refugee Families And The Schools Their Children Attend, Saad K. Bushaala

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships between Arabic speaking Iraqi refugees and teachers in the schools their children attended as perceived by parents and teachers. Specifically, this study explored the communication processes utilized by the Iraqi refugees, their children’s teachers, and their schools. Using a qualitative methods approach, this study also examined the multiple literacy forms and “funds of knowledge” that these families exhibited and utilized in support of their children’s learning. I also looked at the methods and practices that Arab refugee families living in the South used to preserve their heritage language and culture. I read and analyzed the …

Organisational Improvement Plan: System Of Care, Derek Haime

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) describes a way to develop and implement a system of care philosophy within a district school board with the intent of spreading this philosophy throughout the district, province, and country in the future. It is intended to be used as a tool to guide other district school boards interested in implementing a system of care. More specifically, the problem of practice this OIP is intended to address is as follows: “The current model of care for JK-8 students with mental health needs must improve. The service delivery system and pathways to treatment for child and …

Theater Education: Thinking Outside Of The Black Box, Raheve Gray

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation concluded that "Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill" (Smith). A 2012 report from the National Endowment for the Arts mirrored these findings, stating that “Students who have arts-rich experiences in school do better across-the-board academically, they also become more active and engaged citizens, voting, volunteering, and generally participating at higher rates than their peers” (Garelick 1). The above statements speak to the mounting evidence that arts in education provide extensive benefits for students fortunate enough to have them as part of …

Institutional Culture In Christian Schools, Jill Friend

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research project investigated the institutional culture of Christian schools and its impact on faith formation. The research was a mixed method study with Sioux Center Christian School serving as a case study for the project. A careful literature review was conducted to identify the characteristics of healthy institutional culture in education, business and religious institutions. This list was vetted and prioritized using a focus group of Sioux Center Christian School teachers as well as interviews with several experts on institutional culture and faith formation. These characteristics were then used to develop a survey using the Four Building Blocks …

A Model Of Segmenting A High-Cost Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Initiative, Paul Adams

All Capstone Projects

This project aimed to create a working model worthy to include within Schneider, Walker, and Sprague's description of a five-stage process of parceling out high-cost Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) initiatives. In 2002, the Department of Education and Department of Justice sponsored Schneider as the lead author for introducing and promoting CPTED initiatives for the first time in schools. This project's funding mechanism was created to help assist with the procurement of a highly priced CPTED initiative (key-less card system) for Suburban College.

Suburban College had faced a reoccurring pattern of theft from its classrooms and common areas. The …

Collaboration Occurring Between Professionals In Today's Schools, Kara Lynn Doglio

Theses and Dissertations

The collaborative service delivery model is beneficial in its approach as it allows educators and SLPs to work together to address communication impairments in naturalistic settings in order to maximize the functional potential of all students. The current utilization of collaboration as a viable service delivery option is unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify whether collaboration was occurring and with whom it was occurring. This study also sought to identify similarities and differences across four participant groups regarding perceived beliefs and reported practices in professional collaboration. While administrators took a separate survey than educators (general and special …

Relationship Between Principal And Teachers In Urban Schools: An Examination Of Principal Leadership Practices And Teacher Morale, Tonya Renee Norwood

Wayne State University Dissertations

A pervasive issue facing today’s educational environment is teacher morale in schools. Recognizing that teacher morale in urban schools is an area of concern, and the behavior of the principals may be a contributing factor, the primary purpose of this quantitative research study was to analyze and measure the relationship between principal leadership practices and teacher morale in urban schools. The research questions focused on the relationship between principal leadership practices and teacher morale, significant differences among schools in reference to principal leadership practices, significant differences among schools in reference to teacher morale, and the principal leadership practices that had …

Impact Of A Rural Public School District On Community Culture, Lynnwood Michael Baade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals and families often migrate to rural areas anticipating a utopian environment and a school system that supports their beliefs and values. Little qualitative research, however, has been conducted about the impact of rural public school districts on their local communities. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study, as reflected in the central research question, was to explore how a rural public school district contributed to community culture. Maslow's motivational theory related to a hierarchy of human needs formed the conceptual framework for this study. A single case study was executed as the method of inquiry. Participants included 6 residents …

The Effects Of Parent Involvement On Student Outcomes In A Minority-Serving Charter High School, Linda Varnell Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have associated parent involvement in primary schools with the improvement of grades, attendance, and the decrease of negative social behaviors. Consequently, parent involvement has improved in many primary schools. However, in secondary schools, parent participation continues to be deficient, particularly among Latino and African American communities due to language barriers, low incomes, and lack of social networks. Research is needed on how parent participation affects student achievement in secondary schools with underserved populations. Social capital theory provided the conceptual framework to help determine if parent involvement could create parent-school relationships that would lead to improved student academic and behavioral …

A Qualitative Study Of How Students Experienced Exclusionary Discipline Practices, Vera Veronica Holley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of zero tolerance policies, a significant percentage of students who experience exclusions from schools also experience negative outcomes such as high dropout rates, academic failures, and encounters with juvenile justice agencies. While several researchers have found a relationship between unintended consequences of exclusions and juvenile delinquency, few have examined this phenomenon from the perspectives of juveniles who experienced exclusions. Guided by the framework of operant conditioning, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how students experienced exclusions from school. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants who experienced both exclusions from schools and involvement with …

An Evaluation Of Educator Perceptions Regarding The Level Of Family Engagement In Appalachian Kentucky Schools With Middle Grade Students, Penelope Ann Jordan

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the perceptions of educators about the level of family engagement occurring in rural Appalachian Kentucky schools with middle grade students. The research contributes to the field of rural family engagement studies by providing baseline metrics of educator perceptions on the current level of family engagement. The sample consisted of 95 educators working in Appalachian Kentucky public school districts with middle grade students. The educators were asked to respond to questions on four dimensions of family engagement. The dimensions of family engagement surveyed were: Communication, Family Support, School Decision-making and Advocacy, and Partnerships. …