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A Program Evaluation Of I-Ready Implementation In A North Carolina Middle School, Juliana Irene Owen Thompson
A Program Evaluation Of I-Ready Implementation In A North Carolina Middle School, Juliana Irene Owen Thompson
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Aurelius School District used Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready program, which was philosophically aligned to the science of reading and included i-Ready Diagnostic, i-Ready Instruction, and Teacher Toolbox, to improve Cole Middle School students’ reading achievement. Because of the high monetary cost of i-Ready, the school district was considering changing or ending this program. This pragmatic, mixed methods design, CIPP (Stufflebeam, 2003) program evaluation analyzed the fidelity of implementation of the i-Ready program through descriptive statistics (frequencies); assessed the effectiveness of the i-Ready program in increasing student achievement (on the Diagnostic, NC Check-Ins, and NC EOG) through descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, …
Justice And Change: An Exploratory Case Study Of The Early Implementation Of The Restorative Justice Whole-School Model And Reculturing In A High School In The American South, Amber Weyland Rodenbo
Justice And Change: An Exploratory Case Study Of The Early Implementation Of The Restorative Justice Whole-School Model And Reculturing In A High School In The American South, Amber Weyland Rodenbo
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Discipline inequities across racial, gender, and socioeconomic barriers are a constant in the United States, persisting long after the desegregation of schools in the last century. School divisions and schools across the United States have implemented restorative justice as an alternative to traditional punitive discipline as a potential remedy for discipline inequities. To institute whole-school restorative justice, a change in school culture, or reculturing, must occur, per Fullan’s culture of change and coherence models. Using Fullan’s models, this research was a practice-oriented exploratory case study. The following sources of data were collected: interviews with administrators, an at-will survey sent to …
Organizational Learning In Higher Education: Building Staff Capacity, Rosanna Koppelmann
Organizational Learning In Higher Education: Building Staff Capacity, Rosanna Koppelmann
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Organizational learning has been studied and researched as a construct for organizational improvement. Although its definitions are varied, scholars continue to integrate its use through various disciplinary approaches. It has been studied at the organizational level, but not as much research has taken place at the individual level where day-to-day activities and tasks of the university take place. The goal of this study was therefore to understand the organizational learning processes individuals use in their day-to-day work. This phenomenological study sought to understand the specific activities or tasks individuals perform to acquire, share, and use knowledge throughout the organization. The …
Examining Retention Trends Within A Four-Year Undergraduate Leadership Program, Robert Lange
Examining Retention Trends Within A Four-Year Undergraduate Leadership Program, Robert Lange
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Our complicated global society requires effective leadership. Undergraduate Leadership programs vary in design and implementation to provide college students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the leadership process and develop their skills to become more effective leaders themselves. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to determine how elements of student involvement experiences within the academic and co-curricular components of a comprehensive, 4-year leadership program contributed to retention and learning outcomes for students. Program attrition rates represented a potential learning loss at a small, residential, public regional institution, where the study of leadership was emphasized. Through document and …
An Investigation Of The Quality Of Performance Assessments And Implications Of A Grassroots Approach To Accountability Reform, Molly Sandling
An Investigation Of The Quality Of Performance Assessments And Implications Of A Grassroots Approach To Accountability Reform, Molly Sandling
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
In 2014 the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation replacing end-of-course, multiple-choice assessments with locally developed alternative assessments in five courses, including two middle school social studies courses. This policy allowed Virginia school divisions the autonomy to develop the format, quantity, and focus of their assessments to meet state accountability. Given the grassroots nature of this policy, there has been little oversight of these local alternative assessments (LAAs). Thus, this exploratory study sought to gain insight into how divisions approached the process of preparing for and developing local alternative assessments and Balanced Assessment Plans, as well as the quality of the …
Faculty Matter: A Case Study Of Rural Community College Faculty Involvement In Vertical Transfer, Jingjing Liu
Faculty Matter: A Case Study Of Rural Community College Faculty Involvement In Vertical Transfer, Jingjing Liu
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The community college has one of its missions to provide access for students who intend to transfer to a 4-year university using a vertical transfer pathway. As potential advocates for students in the transfer process, faculty who work in community colleges need to recognize the importance of supporting transfer students and help to improve the transfer pathways. Yet, little is known about the role faculty have in promoting transfer. The purpose of this dissertation study was to investigate the role of community college faculty in the vertical transfer process. The study addressed two research questions: How do community college faculty …
Using Process Mapping As A Tool To Improve Institutional Procedures For Rural Transfer Students: An Action Research Study, Alison Rife Weston
Using Process Mapping As A Tool To Improve Institutional Procedures For Rural Transfer Students: An Action Research Study, Alison Rife Weston
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This study investigated the transfer pathway between a rural university and a community college to understand what procedural barriers exist for student degree attainment within existing structures. Process mapping was used as the intervention to examine the influence of enrollment and student services processes and investigate the perceptions of process mapping among student affairs staff and allow them to make suggestions for changes to policy and procedure in their work. Participants were selected for their role in the transfer process at one of the two institutions and convergent mixed methods methodology through a constructivist lens was used to collect and …
Developing A Measure Of Leadership Development For Sport Club Student Leaders: A Cross Sectional Research Design, Daniel Gardner
Developing A Measure Of Leadership Development For Sport Club Student Leaders: A Cross Sectional Research Design, Daniel Gardner
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
This research study was designed to explore potential variables of Sport Club student leaders’ contexts on their leadership development. My specific unit of analysis was the degree to which Sport Club student leaders demonstrated leadership outcomes in leadership skills that aligned with the Sport Club student leaders’ contexts. I defined Sport Club contextual variables as being the individual, organizational and institutional variables that differentiate Sport Club teams from interest-based student organizations. I devised a cross sectional study research design with a post-positivist lens in order to study a population of Sport Club student leaders at NIRSA (formerly the National Intramural …
Navigating The Male Preserve Of Higher Education Leadership: A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Presidential Inaugural Addresses By Women At Colonial Colleges, Amanda Gwen Goldstein
Navigating The Male Preserve Of Higher Education Leadership: A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Presidential Inaugural Addresses By Women At Colonial Colleges, Amanda Gwen Goldstein
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Followers grant legitimacy to leaders whom they perceive to be a good fit for the role, yet the conceptual framework for this study illustrated how dominant discourses related to gender and leadership continue to negatively affect a woman’s potential in achieving legitimacy as an academic president. This study examined the predominant discourses taken up by women during their inaugural addresses to legitimate their role as leaders of the colonial colleges—a unique sample of institutions because of their long legacies of male leadership and strong organizational sagas deeply rooted in masculine preferences and cultures. The inaugural address represents a celebration of …
Perceptions Of Fraternity And Sorority Advisors On Alumni Chapter Advisors, Samantha Margaret Easby
Perceptions Of Fraternity And Sorority Advisors On Alumni Chapter Advisors, Samantha Margaret Easby
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Greek letter organizations are unique student organizations because they are supported, not only by student affairs professionals, but also by alumni chapter advisors. These advisors can influence organizational culture unconsciously through their underlying assumptions and beliefs. The purpose of this study was to examine how Fraternity and Sorority Advisors (FSA) perceive the influence of alumni chapter advisors. A survey instrument collected data from 289 respondents on eight separate constructs based on current literature. Through data reduction the survey items became five factors: high-risk behaviors, leadership development and mentorship, diversity equity and inclusion, philanthropy and service, and persistence and retention. Multiple …
Understanding First-Generation Student Perspectives On Sense Of Belonging And A Student Success Program: A Program Evaluation, Angela D. Bartee
Understanding First-Generation Student Perspectives On Sense Of Belonging And A Student Success Program: A Program Evaluation, Angela D. Bartee
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this mixed-methods program evaluation was to assess how first-generation students related their participation in the Success Program at LU with their sense of belonging. I used the CIPP model to conduct the mixed-methods program evaluation. The evaluation questions were: (1) To what degree do first-generation students who participate in the Success Program report a sense of belonging? and (2) What components of the Success Program do first-generation students find meaningful, based on student perspectives? The General Belongingness Scale (GBS) was used to collect quantitative data by measuring the levels of sense of belonging reported by program participants. …
What Keeps Student Affairs Professionals In The Field: Perspectives Of Mid-Level Administrators, Wilmarie Rodriguez
What Keeps Student Affairs Professionals In The Field: Perspectives Of Mid-Level Administrators, Wilmarie Rodriguez
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Mid-level student affairs professionals are leaving the field at an alarming rate. Even though many studies have given considerable attention to the reasons employees leave, less attention has been given to the reasons they decide to stay. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to examine factors influencing mid-level student affairs professionals’ retention at two public, medium to small size, 4-year universities in the Mid-Atlantic region. First, the administration of a survey to student affairs professionals at two selected institutions occurred to assess their job embeddedness at the institutions. Interviews, through a narrative approach, with select mid-level student …
Teacher Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Instructional Practices Through Instructional Coaching In Mathematics: An Action Research Study, Jason Strong
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Through decades of research and practice, evidence has consistently revealed that math instruction focused on the development of conceptual understanding through reasoning, dialogue, revision, and reflection has the greatest long-term impact on success and self-efficacy in mathematics. Despite these findings, many classrooms continue to employ instructional approaches that emphasize procedural practice. The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to examine the impact of instructional coaching in mathematics on teacher self-efficacy and instruction as they relate to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics teaching practice of facilitating mathematical discourse. Participants in the study included a mathematics instructional coach …
Examining How Vertical Transfer Students Make Sense Of Their Transition Through The Transfer Admission And Enrollment Process During Covid-19, Evanne Christine Raible
Examining How Vertical Transfer Students Make Sense Of Their Transition Through The Transfer Admission And Enrollment Process During Covid-19, Evanne Christine Raible
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Students transfer from one institution of higher education to another for many different reasons, and students’ decision-making processes and enrollment patterns can be complex. This, coupled with a declining postsecondary enrollment nationally and the number of high school graduates leveling off, has forced the transfer admission offices to think creatively as they work to help fill an emerging enrollment gap and maintain current enrollment levels. This program evaluation took place at Liberal Arts University (LAU), a small, primarily undergraduate, liberal arts university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and used a case study approach. The theoretical framework that …
An Examination Of Benefit And Equity In Community-University Service Learning Partnerships, Mary Jo Callan
An Examination Of Benefit And Equity In Community-University Service Learning Partnerships, Mary Jo Callan
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Service learning is a widespread educational practice, which, at its foundation, deploys students into partnerships with community organizations toward mutual benefit. Thirty years into the practice, there is a substantial body of research pointing to benefits of service learning for students, with less examination on benefits for community partners with whom students are engaged in service. Further, there is a dearth of examination of equity in service learning partnerships between universities and community organizations. This mixed methods program evaluation examined benefits and equity in service learning partnerships brokered and supported by the Ginsberg Center at the University of Michigan. Through …
An Evaluation Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Professional Development Provided Through A School-Based Mental Health Program, Nyah Donnielle Hamlett
An Evaluation Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Professional Development Provided Through A School-Based Mental Health Program, Nyah Donnielle Hamlett
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
There are profound implications for students who suffer from mental illness, have unmet social emotional needs, and those who are being taught by ill-prepared teachers with little self-confidence in their ability to adequately address student needs. Teachers spend a significant amount of time with students who experience social and emotional challenges which requires relevant high quality professional development to learn how to recognize possible student mental health issues and to collaborate with internal and external partners to address these issues. This study employed Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) Program Evaluation model to determine the context, input, process, and …
Unfolding The Logic Of A 21st Century Learning Center: Program Evaluation, Monica Rene Manns
Unfolding The Logic Of A 21st Century Learning Center: Program Evaluation, Monica Rene Manns
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract Community Learning Centers (CLC) provide extended learning opportunities for students and families that live in fiscally under-resourced communities. These centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment. This includes an array of additional services, programs, and activities. The programs should be designed to reinforce and complement the academic program of participating students and provide the families of students with opportunities for dynamic and meaningful engagement in the education of the child. Significant research has been done on the effectiveness of community learning centers but little research has been conducted on the formative process for establishing programming for a community learning center. …
Leaders Of Graduate Education At U.S. Doctoral Universities: Their Perceptions And Experiences Leading The Graduate Schools, Yi Hao
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The problem of interest for this study is to understand more about the leaders of graduate education in the United States, namely the graduate deans. After surveying the topic itself and the gaps in the relevant literature, I conducted a mixed-methods study through a sequential design to fill the gap in the literature on graduate deans as mid-level academic leaders in institutional contexts and to provide theoretical and empirical evidence in advancing the knowledge on academic leaders and leadership in U.S. graduate education. The study employs multiple data collection methods, including document analysis, a survey, and multiple case studies. Demographic …
The Impact Of Undergraduate Student Involvement In Creating Engaged Alumni, Katherine Elizabeth Winstead Reichner
The Impact Of Undergraduate Student Involvement In Creating Engaged Alumni, Katherine Elizabeth Winstead Reichner
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Undergraduate experiences can have a profound impact on a student’s emotional connection and affinity for their alma mater. For many graduates, involvement experiences like student organizations, membership in fraternities and sororities, and on-campus jobs can become an ingrained part of the individual’s social identity. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of young alumni at Christopher Newport University (CNU) through interviews with members of the class of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The research examines their experiences through the lens of Social Identity Theory, particularly the components of prestige and distinctiveness that are believed to increase connection to an identity …
A Program Evaluation Of The One-To-One Chromebook Initiative In A Rural School District In Virginia, Juvenal Enrique Abrego-Meneses
A Program Evaluation Of The One-To-One Chromebook Initiative In A Rural School District In Virginia, Juvenal Enrique Abrego-Meneses
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate the implementation of the One-to-one Chromebook initiative in a rural school district in Virginia. The study used the goals of the district's technology plan as a framework to measure the effectiveness in the implementation of the One-to-one Chromebook Computer initiative in Grades 5, 6, 9, and 10. The study sought to collect the perceptions of stakeholders toward the program, the degree to which students engaged in the purposeful and effective use of Chromebooks as well as the application of technology to demonstrate students' knowledge of 21st century skills. The participants included …
A State-Level Superintendent Evaluation Policy Analysis, Tracey L. Schneider
A State-Level Superintendent Evaluation Policy Analysis, Tracey L. Schneider
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
It is the superintendent's complex role and ultimate leadership responsibility for all district outcomes that suggests superintendents hold the key to successful reform. Research in the wake of the federal accountability and reform movement has focused on the principal as the mediator of school reform. Consequently, there is a dearth of research focusing on the superintendent's role in school reform, superintendent performance evaluation, and the state's responsibility to ensure a fair, equitable, and high-quality superintendent evaluation process through state-level policy. This study is a comprehensive policy analysis of state-level superintendent evaluation policies nationwide using a basic content analysis methodology and …
Rural Students’ Experiences At Selective Four-Year Colleges: Pathways To Persistence And Success, Amy Sikes
Rural Students’ Experiences At Selective Four-Year Colleges: Pathways To Persistence And Success, Amy Sikes
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of rural students at two selective four-year colleges. Using the framework of cultural, social, and academic capital, I explored aspects of 17 rural college students’ experiences that show how they are able to attain success at college in spite of their potentially disadvantaged backgrounds. Data were collected by interview; the participants were college students who mostly were seniors at the time of the interviews. Two major themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) the challenges students encountered in their rural high schools and 2) the challenges students encountered …
A Program Evaluation Of The Behavioral Intervention Component Of The Virginia Tiered Systems Of Support In Three Middle Schools, Anna Weigel Thomas
A Program Evaluation Of The Behavioral Intervention Component Of The Virginia Tiered Systems Of Support In Three Middle Schools, Anna Weigel Thomas
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
The Virginia Tiered Systems of Support (VTSS) represents the merger of the behavioral side Positive Behavioral Supports (PBIS) and the academic side Response to Interventions (RtI) (Mann & Leutscher, 2014). VTSS is the Commonwealth of Virginia's adaptation of the federally required systemic response program schools are expected to adopt to address the behavioral and academic needs of students (Landers, Courtade, & Ryndak, 2012; Prasse et al., 2012). The development of specific implementation guidelines has been assigned to local levels of leadership. Thus, VTSS programming differences are common between both districts and schools. The purpose of this study is to assess …
Novice Educator Perceptions Of The Influences Of A New Teacher Mentoring Program In A Hard To Staff School, Jennifer Lee Vaughan
Novice Educator Perceptions Of The Influences Of A New Teacher Mentoring Program In A Hard To Staff School, Jennifer Lee Vaughan
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
Abstract Supporting and retaining new teachers is an ever-growing challenge faced by school districts across the nation (Anhorn, 2008; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011; Lieberman, Saxl, & Miles, 1988; Lorti, 1975). One way that many schools approach this opportunity to support new teachers is through teacher mentoring programs (Goldrick, 2016; Gray & Gray, 1985; Moody, 2009; Strong & Baron, 2004). as school leaders implement mentoring programs, it is important to know whether the programs are meeting their stated goals (Stufflebeam & Shinkfield, 2007). The purpose of this program evaluation was to look at the perceived influence of a teacher mentoring program …
Students' Self-Determined Motivation, Emotional Intelligence And Academic Persistence: An Examination Of Second Year Students At A Public And A Private Historically Black University, Evanda Shentelle Watts-Martinez
Students' Self-Determined Motivation, Emotional Intelligence And Academic Persistence: An Examination Of Second Year Students At A Public And A Private Historically Black University, Evanda Shentelle Watts-Martinez
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
The Language Of Leadership A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Inaugural Addresses By Presidents Of High Profile Research Universities, Tehmina Khwaja
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Culture Clash: A Case Study Of The Issues That Non-Traditional College Presidents Face In Adjusting To Academic Culture, Sean Michael Heuvel
Culture Clash: A Case Study Of The Issues That Non-Traditional College Presidents Face In Adjusting To Academic Culture, Sean Michael Heuvel
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Beating The Odds: Towards Understanding How Principal Leadership Practices In High Schools Support School Completion For African American Males With Learning And Emotional Disabilities, Elaine Butler Gould
Beating The Odds: Towards Understanding How Principal Leadership Practices In High Schools Support School Completion For African American Males With Learning And Emotional Disabilities, Elaine Butler Gould
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Students In A Comprehensive Four-Year Undergraduate Leadership Development Program, Jessica Walker Hench
Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Students In A Comprehensive Four-Year Undergraduate Leadership Development Program, Jessica Walker Hench
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.
To Experience Something Greater Than Myself: An Exploratory Case Study Of The Impact Of A Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad On College Student Identity, E. Ashleigh Schuller Lee
To Experience Something Greater Than Myself: An Exploratory Case Study Of The Impact Of A Faculty-Led Short-Term Study Abroad On College Student Identity, E. Ashleigh Schuller Lee
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects
No abstract provided.