Education Commons^™

Designing An Evaluation Plan For Hopewell City Public Schools Balanced Calendar, Joy Sheets Blosser, Ellen Elizabeth Burnett, Jeffrey Andrew Elmore, Michael Thomas Smith, Margot Marie Zahner

Doctor of Education Capstones

Hopewell City Public Schools (HCPS) began the 2021-2022 academic year with an innovative year-round balanced calendar that redistributes the 180 days of instruction and adds six enrichment weeks to increase student engagement, achievement and well-being. The purpose of this capstone project was to support the school system’s need for evaluation to ensure continual improvement and sustainable success.

Using improvement science concepts and tools, the team developed a theory of change and comprehensive evaluation plan of this balanced calendar initiative. The scope of work addressed three primary questions:

1. What are the essential components of a quality comprehensive evaluation plan for the …

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The Use Of Outside Agents To Improve Special Education Service Delivery: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Christine E. Young

Theses and Dissertations

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, states created statewide systems of support, in collaboration with existing agencies, to deliver targeted assistance to districts and schools identified as in need of support. With limited personnel and resources, state education agencies partnered with outside agents to address the needs of a growing number of low-performing schools. Support and services for low-performing schools were designed to increase opportunities for schools to meet academic content and achievement standards for all students. Strong outside agents (skilled in systems change, knowledge of interventions and capacity for relationship-building) have been shown to produce changes …

Supporting Teen Leaders: Validation Of The I Drive Smart Survey, Cynthia M. George

Theses and Dissertations

Recent policy change allows states to spend federal dollars directly on teen-led driver safety efforts and requires regular evaluations of effectiveness. There are currently no standardized instruments to measure change in teen driving behavior relevant to teen leaders. This study serves the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Safety Office and their network of teen leaders to empirically test and refine the I Drive Smart survey developed by partners and grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The survey is designed to be administered by teen leaders to their peers and produce data relevant for use …