Education Commons^™

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of In-School Suspension Programs On Changing Student Behavior And Academic Success In Schools, John Scott Rimes

Dissertations

This study was performed to examine the perception of teachers, in-school suspension (ISS) staff, and administrators on the effectiveness of the in-school suspension program in changing students’ behavior and academic success at various schools with different performance levels according the current Mississippi Accountability Model. The 32 schools included in this study were located in the central region of Mississippi. The survey was administered during the spring semester of 2012. Data from the ISS survey determined that there was no relationship between the school performance level and the perceptions of ISS.

Overall, the researcher found that there was no evidence supporting …

Is There A Relationship Between Ninth Grade Transitional Programs And At-Risk Student Achievement?, Susan Marie Stoddard

Dissertations

Transition into the ninth grade has long been a critical juncture for students as they make the move to a larger environment with less personal support and a more rigorous academic challenge. In an effort to help make the move from middle-to-high-school transition as smooth as possible, school districts are using Ninth Grade Academies, or innovative transitional strategies designed to address the key factors contributing to students dropping out: poor academic achievement, disengagement, and poor attendance. The purpose of the study was to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between the type of ninth grade transitional program and at-risk …

Interviewing Practices Of Principals And The Role That Biases May Have On The Hiring Process, Lisa Ann Redmon

Dissertations

This causal-comparative study examined reported practices by principals when hiring assistant principals. Two hypotheses were under investigation. The first hypothesis was Principals will hire assistant principals with similar characteristics rather than hire assistant principals with dissimilar characteristics, and the second hypothesis was Principals who use structured interviews to hire assistant principals will hire assistant principals with dissimilar characteristics more often than principals who use unstructured interviews to hire their assistant principals. Over 100 principals and their assistant principals from three school districts were invited to participate. Sixty-three principals and 67 assistant principals participated in the study. The responses from …

Administrators And Teachers' Perceptions Of Key Components Of The School Improvement Grant, Willis Anthony Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to assess administrators and teachers’ perceptions of key components of the School Improvement Grant (SIG). This study explores whether or not administrators and teachers believe the SIG’s key components have a positive impact on school improvement.

The participants for this study were drawn exclusively from five of the eighteen SIG schools that received the School Improvement Grant in Mississippi. All of the teachers and administrators at each school were invited to participate in the study. A total of 97 educators participated in the study, 22 administrators and 75 teachers.

The findings from this research …

An Examination Of Mature Interpersonal Relationships Among International And American College Students, Bona Aidoo

Dissertations

Educating students to relate harmoniously with people from different backgrounds has become an important agenda for student affairs professional because of the increasingly diverse nature of the American society. The purpose of this study was to assess how American and international college students develop mature interpersonal relationship skills. All the participants were from a mid-sized comprehensive institution in the Southern United States. The two main constructs measured were tolerance and quality of relationships. Attempts were also made to identify other predictors that may influence mature interpersonal relationships: gender, age, educational level, and academic achievement as measured by GPA. Both quantitative …

The Relationship Between Perceptions Of School Climate And Student Achievement In Schools That Use Jostens' Renaissance Programs, Amy Yarborough Coyne

Dissertations

Each school has unique attributes and a personality that gives the school a distinct climate. Psychological qualities that schools possess might include trust, collaboration, cooperation, teaching attributes, expectations, community involvement, and engagement (Rhodes, Camic, Milburn, & Lowe, 2009). Given information regarding school climate, relationship needs, and motivation, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of teachers involved in change and improvement processes and to determine whether academic change was related to the use of programs such as Jostens’ Renaissance.

The participants of this study consisted of 242 faculty and staff from five public schools from three separate …

What Professional And Personal Strategies Do Successful Principals Possess To Cultivate A School Culture That Promotes Academic Success In A Blue Ribbon School, Carlos Lateetha Mckinney

Dissertations

Principals who are presiding over schools that have received a blue ribbon certification have evidently used specific professional and personal strategies, as well as behaviors, to enhance the academic and social culture of their schools. The current study examined Mississippi Gulf Coast Schools that received blue ribbon status in the last six years. A survey of administrators, teachers, and staff members was conducted.

The research confirmed that a correlation exists between personal and professional behaviors of the principals who have presided over Blue Ribbon Certified Schools and teacher morale. These principal behaviors are deemed instrumental in the building of a …

Influence Of Teacher Qualifications, Experience, Instructional Methods, And Professional Development On Student Achievement On The Mississippi Writing Assessment In Grades Four And Seven, Stacy Kihneman Garcia

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher qualifications, experience, instructional methods, and professional development influenced student achievement on the Mississippi Writing Assessment in grades four and seven. The study was conducted in the three coastal counties of southern Mississippi. Participants were fourth or seventh grade teachers who taught in one of the eight school districts that were included in the study.

Participants were asked to provide information regarding their qualifications, amount of classroom experience, preferred instructional methods, and feelings on professional development. Also requested from each teacher was his/her classroom average on the Mississippi Writing Assessment from …

An Examination Of Mississippi Public School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Their Professional Development Experiences In Raising Student Achievement, Daniel Martin Rushing

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the elements needed to produce a high quality professional development program for teachers. The researcher sought to determine possible factors that had a significant relationship to Mississippi public school teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their professional development experiences in raising student achievement. Furthermore, the researcher wanted to identify possible inequities with professional development opportunities for teachers in Mississippi. It is the hope of the researcher to highlight the characteristics of effective professional learning defined by research that would kindle a desire in classroom teachers to advance their skill levels …

The Effectiveness Of A District-Wide Training Initiative On Determining Preparedness Of Educational Leaders In A Large, Southeastern Louisiana School System, Jeanne Bordelon Wagner

Dissertations

A nationwide shortage of qualified, experienced applicants to fill the roles of educational leaders has led to a hiring crisis among school districts across America. The diminishing pool of applicants, accompanied by a high turnover rate of practicing administrators and increasing accountability demands, has revealed the importance of recruitment and retention of educational leaders. As the roles of school administrators are constantly evolving and increasing in complexity, recruiting skillfully trained personnel proficient in all dimensions of school leadership is a catalyst for increasing student achievement and for reducing principal attrition rates. The purpose of this research was to reveal perceived …

Seeing The Chemistry Around Me – Helping Students Identify The Relevance Of Chemistry To Everyday Life, Tracy Lynn Moore

Dissertations

The study attempted to determine whether the use of a series of reading and response assignments decreased students’ perceptions of chemistry difficulty and enhanced students’ perceptions of the relevance of chemistry in their everyday lives. Informed consent volunteer students enrolled in General Chemistry II at a community college in the southeastern United States during the Spring 2012 semester participated in this study. Students were assigned to read a series of short articles that connect chemistry to a specific aspect of everyday life and then answer a series of questions for each article. Open-response research instruments (initial questionnaire and final questionnaire) …

Professional Learning Communities, Self Efficacy, And Collaborative Learning In The Elementary School, Diana Provancha Sweigart

Dissertations

The United States of America used to have the best high school graduation rate in the world. However, by 2006, the U. S. was ranked 18 out of 26 among industrialized nations (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010) with three out of every ten public school students failing to complete high school with a diploma (DuFour and Marzano, 2011). This urgent, pressing issue warrants continuing research to discover what does and does not work in educating our children. Numerous empirical and scientifically-based research studies continue to show the validity of several teaching methods; one such strategy is cooperative learning, …

Perceptions Of Mentoring, Dropout Rates, School Attendance, And Academic Achievement In Core Subject Areas Among Students In The Various Branches Of Jrotc, Michael Joseph Weaver

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of cadets in the Army, Navy, and Air Force JROTC program regarding their beliefs about mentorship and how it affects students’ perceptions. Funding for education is constantly under review and programs that are considered unnecessary are facing increased scrutiny. Schools are held accountable for educating students and this accountability includes both the quality of the program provided by the district and also the commitment among students to be successful in life.

Haveman, Wolfe, and Wilson (2001) reported that graduating from high school provides benefits to society both socially and economically. …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence Of School Principals And Their Ability To Identify The Strengths Or Talents Of A Member Of Their Leadership Team, Angela Luther Bare

Dissertations

The role of high school administrators has become increasingly complex, as many school populations have reached the thousands. The responsibilities placed before school administrators, particularly principals’ responsibilities, mirrors that of city management. School leaders are charged with the challenges of exhibiting expertise in the fields of educational leadership, instruction, facilities management all while developing and implementing a school mission with sincere purpose for the students and school community. Additionally, school administrators must be able to address the socialemotional needs of their staffs, students and school community. The purpose of this study was to illuminate effective leadership through an exploration of …

Implications Of The No Child Left Behind Legislation On Career And Technical Education, Thomas Kyle Wallace

Dissertations

The passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation in 2001 brought about a multitude of education reform policies for education institutions that made the future of Career and Technical Education’s (CTE) role in secondary educations unclear. These mandates forced educational leaders to emphasize student enrollment in tracks that prepare them for post-secondary educational opportunities that require a stronger background in academic courses. The standards-based mandates required by NCLB legislation make promotion of CTE courses more difficult because these courses are primarily elective courses and have caused educational agencies to look at what CTE programs provide in terms of meeting …

Social Networking Systems As A Vehicle To Promote Sense Of Community And Performance In Online Classes, Jonathan Mark Woodward

Dissertations

Academicians are navigating through the intersection of information technology and social change. The path that educators choose will help determine the future of higher education in traditional and online settings. The journey of teachers is clouded by the abundance and rapid creation of emerging technologies, but the trends of Net Generation students offer direction. Among Web 2.0 applications, social networking systems (SNSs) offer students a new approach to communicating, learning, and collaborating.

The sociocentric view of knowledge and learning and the theories of Vygotsky and Dewey are helping to drive educators to look for a solution to a missing link …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Implementing Interdisciplinary Pods On Student Achievement In Georgia Middle Schools, Andrew Lynn Bristow

Dissertations

With the increasing demands for middle schools to meet Annual Yearly Progress and the Annual Measurable Objective levels of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) middle school principals are faced with decisions to incorporate the appropriate middle school instructional model. This study examined the longitudinal achievement data of sixth and seventh grade reading, English language arts, and math on the Georgia Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) in 20 middle schools from 2008 – 2011 in a large suburban school district in Georgia. Of the schools, two implemented a junior high model, six implemented an interdisciplinary pod model, and twelve …

Freshman Academy: Transitioning Ninth Grade Students Through The Academic And Social Rigors Of The High School Experience And The Students’, Parents’ And Teachers’ Perceptions, Yulanda West Clinton

Dissertations

Freshman Academy in Mobile County is an ever growing concept. Although the school in this study no longer houses a freshman Academy, the research reveals valuable information that is very useful in assisting schools and school systems in deciding whether or not to implement this type of transitioning program. In addition to the data, the students’, parents’, and teachers’ perceptions of the program are invaluable. This study revealed that students, parents, and teachers have positive perceptions about the academic and social interest areas of freshman students and negative perceptions about the structural interest area. This study also revealed, there is …

The Relationship Between Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Principals’ Transformational Leadership Practices, Teachers’ Sense Of Efficacy And Student Achievement, Antwane Lajacques Nelson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between middle school teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s transformational school leadership practices, teacher efficacy and student achievement. The study also investigated which transformational school leadership dimensions were predictors for teachers’ sense of efficacy factors and student achievement as measured by math and reading/English language arts CRCT scores. Analyses were also conducted to determine which teacher sense of efficacy factors were predictors for student achievement as measured by math and reading/English language arts CRCT scores.

Data from 256 teacher surveys were collected from 17 middle schools located in a northwestern suburban …

The Relationship Between Academic Achievement And School-Based Mental Health Services For Middle School Students, Lisa Ogle Williams

Dissertations

Mental health issues among American adolescents and children can negatively impact their potential for school success. As many as 10% of students among the general education population suffer from psychiatric disorders, yet only between 1% and 5% of those students are being served. The effects of mental health difficulties are problematic for students because they negatively impact academic performance, behavior, attendance, and school violence (Whelley, Cash, & Bryson, 2003). There are often barriers to academic performance relative to psychiatric illness and problems that include inadequate health insurance coverage, lack of transportation, shortages of child mental health professionals, and stigmas associated …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding Positive Behavior Intervention Support, Lawanda Joy Singleton Thornton

Dissertations

Almost every school uses positive behavior intervention support (PBIS) to not only increase students’ academic achievements but also their behavioral and social/emotional needs. The participants in the study were a random sample of K-12 public school teachers in the state of Mississippi; the instrumentation was a 32-question teacher perception survey.

For this study, teacher perceptions regarding PBIS were linked to five research questions. Following are the research questions with their findings with the level of significance set at the .05 level:

RQ1 Is there a relationship between the perception of PBIS and the number of years of teaching experience at …

Family Experiences And Children With Autism Who Use Speech Generating Devices, Rebecca Elizabeth Mullican

Dissertations

Semi-structured interviews were used to investigate family experiences with their children with autism who use Speech Generating Devices (SGDs).Six parents were interviewed on two separate occasions about their experiences with their child, ages three-eighteen. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the interviews. Five super-ordinate themes emerged: (a) Complexity of speech generating devices as tools for communication, (b) Tension between structure and play, (c) Interplay between requesting and social interaction, (d) The fluctuating role of parent advocate, and (e) Building a diverse support network. These qualitative findings can be used to inform families and professionals working with children who …

The Relationship Between Schools Utilizing Positive Behavior Interventions And Support Programs And Student Achievement, Lori Herrington Massey

Dissertations

Incidents of student misbehavior are on the rise in classrooms across the United States. The acts of misconduct committed by students are increasing in both frequency and severity. While there is a broad spectrum of causal factors for the presentation of these behaviors, the end result is the decline of student achievement. These behavioral issues are negatively impacting student achievement by creating disruptions in the teaching process, loss of instruction for students who are serving suspensions, preoccupying administrators with dispensing office discipline referrals rather than serving as instructional leaders. To combat this rise in behavioral concerns both federal law and …

High-Stakes Testing And Its Relationship To Stress Levels Of Coastal Secondary Teachers, Sheneatha Lashelle Alexander Mcdaniel

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between high-stakes tests and stress with secondary teachers. Furthermore, this study investigated whether veteran teachers experience more stress than novice teachers and whether or not self efficacy, gender, accountability status, and years of experience influence teacher stress as it relates to high-stakes testing. This contributed to the existing literature that relates to teacher stress and high-stakes testing.

The participants for the study included Mississippi public coastal secondary school teachers who have administered the Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program system. The districts chosen were all secondary coastal schools. There was a …

The Effects Of Increased Accountability Standards On Graduation Rates For Students With Disabilities, Mitzie Lee Moore

Dissertations

This research sought to determine if unintended effects of increased accountability standards on graduation rates for students with disabilities existed. Data from one southeastern state were utilized in order to determine if graduation rates were impacted as a result of higher accountability standards. In addition, administrator attitudes on views of NCLB, high-stakes testing of students with disabilities, strategies initiated to exclude students with disabilities from high-stakes tests, and inclusion of all students with disabilities in the growth model. Archival data from 2001 and 2010 were used to compare pre and post graduation rates for significant differences. Survey results were collected …

Teacher Certification And Student Achievement, Patricia Lewis Moss

Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine if there is a significant difference between the achievement of students who are taught by traditionally prepared teachers and that of students who are taught by alternatively prepared teachers. The study further addressed the perspectives of both groups of teachers regarding selected dimensions of teaching.

The findings indicated that, overall, no significant difference existed in student achievement on MCT2 math scores for teachers who were alternatively prepared or traditionally prepared. However, there were significant differences in student achievement in grades 6 and 7 when examined by teacher preparation type. There was …

Adhd In Young Boys: A Correlational Study Among Early Childhood Educators In Louisiana, Jessica Hart Stubbs

Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a psychiatric condition that has been increasingly diagnosed in young American children, with boys being diagnosed three times more frequently than their female peers. As a result, more children than ever are being treated with powerful stimulant medications which can have various desired and undesired effects. Early childhood curriculums have become more academic in nature, and early childhood teachers are under growing pressure to help their students master academic skills at earlier ages than ever before. Pharmaceutical companies aggressively market medications directly to consumers, promising improved academic and behavioral success for even the youngest children. …

The Influence Of Classroom Instruction And Test Preparation On School Accountability Levels, Karen Adair Carter Bryant

Dissertations

Federal and state educational agencies provide guidelines for public schools across the United States to follow (Linn, 2008; Levy, 2008). During a time of highstakes testing fueled by school accountability standards, educators strive to meet requirements for academic growth in order to maintain a successful accountability level and avoid being labeled as a school under improvement (Behrent, 2009; Hardman & Dawson, 2008). Some argue that the demands of accountability standards pressure administrators and teachers to provide less than adequate instruction in order to focus on the content of mandatory state tests (Abrams & Madaus, 2003; Anderson, 2009; Behrent, 2009; Hamilton, …

The Invisible Woman And The Silent University, Elizabeth Robinson Cole

Dissertations

Anna Eliot Ticknor (1823 – 1896) founded the first correspondence school in the United States, the Society to Encourage Studies at Home. In the fall of 1873 an educational movement was quietly initiated from her home in Boston, Massachusetts. A politically and socially sophisticated leader, she recognized the need that women felt for continuing education and understood how to offer the opportunity within the parameters afforded women of nineteenth century America. With a carefully chosen group of women and one man, Ticknor built a learning society that extended advanced educational opportunities to all women regardless of financial ability, educational background, …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Effectiveness Among Sponsored Research Administrators, Ventez Derrell Jones

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of emotional intelligence, as perceived by senior level university sponsored research administration professionals and their perceived leadership effectiveness, as measured by the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory and the Kouzes and Posner Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) for Self. Senior research administrators are now more than ever being faced with profusely, increasingly, difficult issues within the scope of their daily work processes.

The relevant review of literature focused on four key areas: theoretical rationale for examining emotional intelligence, the link between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness, effective leadership practices within education, and …