Education Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Parent And Family Engagement Programs On The Academic Success Of 4th Grade Students In Title I Elementary Schools, Farah Leila Henderson

Dissertations

Parent and family engagement has become an essential part of education reform for schools across the United States. There were over 50 years of research on the topic and its impact on student achievement. The purpose of my evaluation was to study how implementing specific parent and family engagement activities at Title I elementary schools affected the reading achievement of fourth-grade students. The context of this inquiry was a large urban public school district where Parent Engagement Liaisons (PEL) were placed in Title I schools to coordinate the district-directed Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) program. I used a mixed-methods design …

Examining Digital Proficiency Perceptions And Differences In Achievement During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Rural Mid-Western High School, Tiffany Rae James Young

Dissertations

In response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, schools worldwide were forced to react quickly to meet the needs of all students in an unprecedented time of change for all facets of society. Through a mixed-method approach, this study aimed to explore the effect of hybrid learning on student achievement, as well as the effect, if any, of teachers’ perceptions of their own digital abilities on student achievement. The research also examined the thoughts of students and teachers as it pertained to teaching and learning during the global pandemic. To analyze the effect of hybrid learning on student achievement, the researcher compared …

The Effect Of Choice Programs On Student Achievement, David Whitham

Dissertations

Educational choices provide unique learning opportunities for all children to have access to and allow parents to be the decision-makers for their child’s education (Valant & Lincove, 2018). Brown v. Board of Education (1954) of Topeka sparked the creation of choice programs in the United States to end the segregation of students and empower families to be direct stakeholders in their child’s education (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). This study focused on a school district in the Midwest region of the United States, which investigated the expansion of learning options available to the community. The purpose of this study …

Academic Intensive Care Units: What Is The Impact On Student Achievement?, Brandi Compass

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if academic intensive care units along with no-zero grading policies at the high school level result in students having higher achievement levels on state EOC assessments. A mixed-methods approach was taken in order to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data from surveys and interviews. Additional quantitative data were analyzed from archival data. Two separate schools were chosen for the populations. High School A implemented academic intensive care units and no-zero grading polices while High School B did not. Participants in the study consisted of both teachers and students at High School A …

Social-Emotional Supports For African American Males: An Examination Of Strategies And Practices That Inform Persistence For College And Career Readiness, Kamilah Hampton

Dissertations

African American males are faced with many challenges because of the lack of social-emotional supports and current society. African American males experience trauma as a result of their exposure to violence, mistreatment in most environments, and implicit biases in obtaining an education. Social-emotional programming designed specifically for African American males is proven to positively impact their learning outcomes. This study found that the implementation of programming can have a direct impact on African American male’s ability to achieve at high levels. This must be addressed through continuous professional learning and support to challenge and improve a teacher’s instructional practice with …

A Study To Determine The Relationships Among Grit, Engagement, And Student Achievement, Jill Dennison

Dissertations

In the absence of high quality and impact interventions, undesirable consequences of poverty will be seen to fruition. In this study, the Golden Circle business model (Sinek et al., 2017) served as the framework to understand how students’ grit, engagement, and achievement are related in Title I elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between grit and engagement, engagement and student achievement, and finally grit and student achievement. The relationship between grit and engagement was measured by teacher and student perceptions, respectively. Student engagement and achievement were analyzed using student self-perceptions of …

The Effects Of Principal Feedback On Instruction And Student Achievement, Jeremy Brownfield

Dissertations

Legislative and educational reform through the first 20 years of this century has focused largely on the impact of the teacher and principal on student achievement (Kraft & Gilmour, 2016; Marshall, 2017). Principals’ influence upon achievement is second only to that of classroom teachers; however, principal impact is indirect and difficult to quantify (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstorm, 2004). This mixed-methods study involved the analysis of secondary data and elicitation of teachers’ and principals’ perceptions in order to determine the impact of principals on student achievement. The quantitative portion of the study involved an analysis of secondary data including the …

An Evaluation Of One School District Standards Assessment Program, Derrick King

Dissertations

This project focuses on how one school district uses quarterly assessments to identify standards students have not mastered. This project identifies how some schools utilize quarterly assessment data with varying results. One problem I have identified is a lack of a consistent expectation from district leadership, regarding the expectation for how schools should use the assessment program. In my research, I examine two schools that use the assessment program differently. The literature I present reveals how the program can help improve student achievement. The research reveals what is working well, and what is not. In closing, I recommend implementing a …

A Comparative Study Of Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Between Differently Structured Special Education School Districts, Leigha Wetter

Dissertations

In order to provide recommendations for special education service organization practices, the researcher investigated student achievement and teacher perceptions of differently structured special education school districts that collaborated with a special school district to provide special education services and schools that provided their own special education services. Through evaluating the varying school districts, this study aimed to address possible best practices within the structuring of the organizations to increase student achievement for students with special needs. In order to evaluate the organization of the school districts, the researcher analyzed the student achievement of special education students at the elementary and …

Student Achievement And Teacher Efficacy In Multiage Team-Taught Versus Single-Age Classrooms, Troy A. Marnholtz

Dissertations

This study was conducted to compare the effects of classroom setting on student performance and teachers’ sense of efficacy. In this study, student performance on the Missouri Assessment Program grade-level assessments at the third and fourth-grade levels was utilized to compare the multiage team-taught classroom setting versus singleage classroom setting. The teachers’ sense of efficacy on the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) survey was also analyzed to compare multiage team-taught classroom setting and single-age classroom setting. The data were interpreted to support that students in multiage team-taught classroom settings outperformed similar age students in single-age classroom settings on the …

A Comparative Analysis Of Student Achievement Of First Grade Students Using Fundations Vs. Heggerty And Words Their Way, Stephen Schwartz

Dissertations

The Orton Gillingham (OG) teaching method is commonly used in schools (Ritchey & Goeke, 2006, p. 172). However, there is little evidence to support the use of OG based reading programs to help students learn more effectively in tier 1, 2 and 3 settings (Ring, Avrit, & Black, 2017, p. 384). The researcher sought to shed light on the effectiveness of an OG based reading program in comparison to the use of Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness Program and Words Their Way. The Investigator completed a study to shed light on the Fundations program. Fundations is an OG based reading program that …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Student Achievement And Satisfaction In Traditional Versus Online Learning Environments, Jessica L. Manion

Dissertations

To evaluate student achievement and satisfaction in different course delivery modes the researcher investigated both traditional and online undergraduate accounting courses at a private Midwestern university. By comparing student achievement and satisfaction in traditional versus online undergraduate accounting courses, the study aimed to highlight what works best in education and provide guidance to administrators and instructors alike. This investigation included students enrolled in undergraduate accounting courses during the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years. The mixed-methods framework allowed the researcher to examine this educational issue from the quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Quantitatively, the researcher examined secondary data from both student …

A Quantitative Case Study On School Climate, Student Behavior, Student Achievement, And Classroom Facility Factors In An Urban Midwest High School, Shamonda Owens

Dissertations

This research was a quantitative case study on the possible relationship between school climate, student behavior, student achievement, and classroom facility factors in an urban Midwest high school. Specific variables included lighting, wall color, classroom temperature, school climate, student behavior, and student academic achievement. The researcher collected the following data: student behavior, number of out of school suspensions (OSS) students received in 2014 through 2017, End of Course data, 2014-2017, in the areas of Biology, American Government, English I, and English II. To measure school climate, the researcher used the district’s annual climate survey. School climate survey data measured student …

Comparing Student Achievement And School Climate In Four-Day And Five-Day Secondary Schools In Missouri, William Gordon Daleske

Dissertations

This quantitative study was conducted to determine whether a significant difference existed between secondary schools that observed the four-day school calendar and the five-day school calendar when comparing secondary schools’ Annual Progress Report (APR) scores of academic achievement levels and attendance levels, as well as the secondary school teachers’ perception of school climate. Five of the participating schools observed the four-day school week and five schools observed the five-day school week. The first portion of the study consisted of taking the average APR scores for attendance from both the four-day and the five-day schools and comparing them in an independent …

School Principal's Leadership Style And Teacher's Self-Efficacy In High And Low Achieving Schools In Chikankata, Zambia, Pardon Mwansa

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Much research has been done in past years on the topic of student achievement, with most of those studies focusing on factors that contribute to student achievement. Little, or no research has been done, especially in the country of Zambia, that has focused on the relationship between leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these constructs impact student achievement. This study explored the school principals' leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these factors contribute to student achievement in Chikankata District, Zambia. The Ministry of Education in Zambia and other educators, especially those …

An Analysis Of Research-Based Leadership Practices And The Principal’S Impact On Student Achievement, Tisha Georgette Glasper

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the research-based leadership practices demonstrated by principals; in addition to how principals managed to lead others to become involved in student achievement. The participants of this study consisted of school principals from seven successful schools in Saint Louis City and Saint Louis in Missouri and Madison County, Illinois. For this study, a successful school can be defined as a school where student achievement met or exceeded the Adequate Yearly Progress targets set by the No Child Left behind Act of 2001. There were also 71 teachers who participated in this study. Effective …

Improving Progress Structures To Impact Student Achievement At An Elementary School, Kimberly Harper-Young, Kimberly Harper-Young

Dissertations

This Change Plan paper is the second part of a three-part dissertation on improving the progress monitoring structures to impact student achievement. Progress monitoring is a powerful instructional tool within the instructional cycle to increase student performance. When teachers implement the instructional cycle with fidelity, planning instruction, incorporating research-based practices, assessing instruction, and analyzing data, the use of progress monitoring can shift from a mundane task needing to be completed for the administration, district, and/or state, to an integral component of teaching (Santi & Vaughn, 2007).

Wagner et al’s (2006) As-Is and To-Be charts were used for ABC Elementary School, …

The Impact Of Progress Monitoring Structures On Student Achievement, Kimberly Harper-Young, Kimberly Harper-Young

Dissertations

This program evaluation studied the impact of teacher efficacy on progress monitoring structures. To examine the effectiveness of teachers’ efficacy on implementing a progress monitoring tool, teachers in grades 3-8 were administered a questionnaire to discover their perceptions about implementing progress monitoring with fidelity, their ability to use a computer-based program, their comfort in doing so, and the quality of the data it enabled them to view. The results of the questionnaire suggest that teacher efficacy is an important factor in implementing progress monitoring.

A Mixed-Methods Study On The Relationship Between Corrective Reading Interventions And Student Achievement In An Urban Middle School After-School Program, Emma Campbell-Cornelius

Dissertations

The researcher investigated the corrective reading interventions implemented in an urban middle school’s after-school program to determine if the interventions were helping students perform better in English Language Arts (ELA) classes and improved their overall achievement on the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA). The researcher also investigated teacher perceptions of professional development hours and student achievement in ELA. This study primarily focused on students in fifth-eighth grade, due to the low academic performance in ELA scores at the middle school. The purpose of this study was to determine if students in middle school would perform better if they received additional supports …

The Relationship Between Political Affiliation And Student Achievement In The Areas Of Reading And Mathematics, With Respect To Black Students, Steven Michael Smith

Dissertations

The role of politicians is integral within the public school system. Politician influence directly the policies that impact student achievement. The impact could be based on ideologies. These ideologies could influence a significant difference in Black student achievement. In preparing for this study, the researcher was unable to find investigations of the potential influence political affiliations of state and local officials may have on student achievement, and specifically on Black student achievement. This exploratory, correlational study analyzed the potential relationship between political party affiliation and student achievement of fourth and eighth grade students in the areas of mathematics and reading, …

Student Achievement Versus Technology In The Catholic Classroom: Correlation Or Added Bonus, Cheryl L. Boze Hall

Dissertations

Spending limited educational budgets on technology for classrooms is a strategy many school districts have used to increase student achievement (Levenson, Baehr, Smith, & Sullivan, 2014). In recent years, the technology movement allowed for arbitrary purchasing of devices with little to no pedagogical planning for how technology device usage was expected to increase student achievement (Johnston, 2014). The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between student achievement and the amount of money spent on technology hardware, technology software, and technology-related professional development. The research design incorporated quantitative methods through collection of test scores and survey data regarding …

The Relationship Between Teacher Evaluation Ratings And Student Achievement In A Rural, Midwest School District, Margaret A. Mathus

Dissertations

While many factors have been identified as influencing student academic performance, previous studies consistently determined effective teaching as the most significant factor, within the control of educators, leading to improved student achievement. Nonetheless, educational experts, statisticians, and policy-makers alike acknowledged the complexity of isolating the contributions of individual teachers on their students’ achievement. Converging with these changing beliefs about teaching and learning, the landscape of education faced an additional challenge — marked by an increased demand for schools and individual teachers to be held accountable for the academic growth of his/her students. Local districts have been empowered to create and …

Fine Arts Coursework And Student Achievement Among African-American Students In A Midwest Setting, Douglas Erwin

Dissertations

The researcher designed this study to investigate a possible correlation between the number of years of fine arts coursework and achievement on the American College Test (ACT). The district studied was predominantly African American; therefore, similar schools may use the results to plan strategies to reduce the achievement gap. Results included a mild positive correlation between student ACT achievement and coursework in visual arts, and a moderate correlation between ACT achievement and performing arts. The more fine arts coursework a student received, the higher his or her ACT score. The researcher conducted a z-test for difference in means to compare …

A Mixed-Methods Study On Student Achievement In Reading And Teacher Professional Development In A K-2 Urban Public School Setting, Michelle Chism

Dissertations

To determine if a relationship existed between teacher professional development and student reading achievement for grades K-2, the researcher conducted a mixedmethods study to examine reading achievement and teacher professional development in a Midwest urban school district. If the researcher was able to show a relationship between teacher professional development and student reading achievement, recommendations could be made on research-based professional development models proven to increase student academic achievement and improve instructional practices within an underachieving school district. To determine if a relationship existed between the above-mentioned variables, the researcher examined student standardized reading achievement scores and teacher survey responses …

The Role Of Technology In Personalized Learning And The Effect On Student Achievement, Allison Jean Pilley

Dissertations

Personalized learning is not a new concept and can be traced back to the 1700s, but it has become increasingly popular in today’s schools (Bray & McClaskey, 2015). With the high rate of technology introduction into classrooms, the implementation of personalized learning has become easier as instruction shifts from teacher-led to student-centered (Grant & Bayse, 2014). The purpose of this study was to identify the role of technology in personalized learning and to determine if the implementation of the pedagogy had an effect on student achievement scores. Elementary classroom teachers and elementary principals served as the participants for this study, …

A Quantitative Study Of International School Working Conditions And Learning Environments In Relation To Student Achievement, Melissa Allen

Dissertations

With an increased focus on global competition, many educators and policymakers relied on international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to evaluate the ability of their education system to prepare students for the global economy. Students in the United States continued to demonstrate disappointing results on the PISA, which led to an outcry by American educators and policymakers and a call for reform. To lessen the achievement gap between the United States and other countries, experts suggested the importance of identifying the characteristics of high performing countries and adapting effective policies to fit the needs of …

Raising Student Achievement Through Programmatic Initiatives And Instructional Improvement, Philip S. Georgia

Dissertations

This dissertation consists of a program evaluation, a change leadership plan, and a policy advocacy proposal.

The program evaluation studies the impact of initiatives implemented at an elementary school near a large city in Illinois using a case study methodology. The school was required to restructure during the 2013-2014 school year as a result of the performance mandates outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. To compare the post-restructuring status of the school with the pre-restructuring status, student growth data for multiple grade levels and for each federal subgroup was collected. In addition, the staff’s perceptions about …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards A Computer-Based Assessment System And Student Achievement, Felicia M. Griffin

Dissertations

Since the introduction of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), districts across the country implemented computerized benchmark, or interim assessments, into their curriculum as a means to monitor and improve student achievement. Often, a change in curriculum entails a demand of educators’ time, whether through professional development or lesson planning, and therefore affects teachers’ attitudes. The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, relationship there was among middle school teachers’ attitudes, monthly computerized benchmark assessments, and student scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Educators of the communication arts and mathematics content areas from one middle school were …

An Analysis Of The Correlation Between Act Scores And One-To-One Computing, Jeffrey Brian Heath

Dissertations

This study examined whether a relationship exists between one-to-one computing and student achievement, specifically ACT scores. This study also examined whether relationships exist among teachers’ perceptions of one-to-one computing, teachers’ years of experience, subjects taught by teachers, teachers’ skill level in the use of a computer for instruction, and teachers’ perceptions of changes in ACT scores. The results of this study could help policymakers and educators with decisions regarding implementation of one-to-one computing programs.

The sample of schools for investigating the relationship between one-to-one computing and ACT scores consisted of 33 secondary public schools with one-to-one computing programs located in …

Teacher Evaluation And Student Achievement In Elementary Education, Eric L. Allen

Dissertations

Historically, the state of Missouri has utilized the Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation (PBTE) system developed by Dr. Jerry Valentine from the University of Missouri (Valentine & Harting, 1986). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 mandated more rigorous accountability standards for state education systems (Moe, 2014). The 2012 revisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provided to Missouri by the U.S. Department of Education relieved the original mandates of the NCLB Act (MODESE, 2015a). However, added were provisions for teacher and administrator accountability which required evaluation of research-based principles of effective instruction (MODESE 2015a). In this study, …