Education Commons^™

Survey Research To Assess Secondary School Teachers' Disposition And Readines For Teaching Mathematics To English Language Learners, Rosa Isela Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Our society is built with ethnic minorities who in many cases do not speak English. This is the case of ELL students who need to learn mathematics. ELLs need to learn math and teachers are a major part of that process. The purpose of the study was to identify mathematics teachers' beliefs and teaching practices with respect to ELLs. A survey on ELL Education was administered to 42 grade 6-10 educators who attended a summer inservice in July 2009. The survey questions were then categorized into six groups related to the research questions and analyzed with SPSS to address a …

Student Price Response: The Effect Of Tuition Deregulation In Texason Student Enrollment Trends In Texas Public Institutions Of Higher Educaiton, Jose Carlos Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between cost of attendance price increases in Texas public higher education institutions and enrollment. This study compared enrollment trends prior to and post deregulation of tuition setting authority in the State. The study focused on first-time full-time state-wide enrollment of all students and Hispanic students, and also analyzed enrollment trends at institutions located along the U.S./Mexico border and non-border for the same grouping of students. Enrollment behavior was tested for statistical significance to cost of attendance for all aforementioned geographic areas and student groups. A simple linear regression of pre-deregulation was used to predict enrollment …

Women In The High School Principalship: A Study Of Leadership At Three Schools, Kimberly Jane Baxter

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study is about women principals in Texas and their leadership in light of the current context of large high schools. Relatively few recent studies exist of women in the high school principalship since the passage of No Child Left Behind (2002). I attempt to provide insight into how the elements of gender and the contemporary context interact to produce individual experiences for three principals.

The purpose of this study is to provide a deep understanding of the ways in which gender and the modern context of schools interact to produce individual lived experiences for three female principals. This study …

Science Versus Religion: Protestant Dominance And Cultural Discrimination In Public Schools, Melissa Marie Brock

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research offers a critical analysis of the current controversy concerning religion. The study explores the establishment of the public school system under Protestant dominance and use of this dominance to assert authority over minority groups. Legislation and court action have created a position of opposing policy; placing science as the opposite of religion, and Atheists and Christian activists are using curriculum as an ideological battle field. Currently, since 9/11, religious discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise. In order to investigate this controversy, this study explores literature, published surveys, and government documents. The American public school systems are …

Building Collaborative Capacity Across Institutional Fields: A Theoretical Dissertation Based On A Meta-Analysis Of Existing Empirical Research, Vivian Hernandez Carrasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation study folds the existing empirical literature across a broad spectrum of disciplines with the experience of a national collaboration between Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies and the United States Army to explore the capacity and key competencies required to support successful interorganizational collaboration (IOC) at the individual and organizational level. It explores the evolution of collaboration and maps the continuum of related concepts, illustrating their distinction in a spectrum of IOC. It presents the collaboration process as a dialectic model within a Systems Psychodynamic Perspective, detailing the necessary ingredients for increasing collaborative capacity within individuals and organizations. The …

The Effectiveness Of Fba-Based Interventions On Social Goals And Behaviors Of A Student At Risk Of E/Bd, Hsin-Ju Chen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) based interventions for improving prosocial goals and behaviors and reducing problem behaviors of a student at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). Specifically, this study was interested in whether the behavioral intervention plans based on the function of behavior had an impact on the student's thought processes impacting prosocial decision making. There was one 11-year-old student who was placed in the behavior intervention class (BIC) participating in this study. Results showed that overall, the student's problem behaviors seemed to decrease during the classroom universal …

School-Based Coaching: An Interpretive Study Of One Model Of Professional Development, Michele De Bellis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A trend developing over the last decade in professional development has been to provide teachers with support and guidance through engaging and interactive experiences (Boston Plan for Excellence, 2004). The assumption is that teachers who are provided with hands-on professional development experiences will make connections and add meaning to new content or pedagogy being taught and increase the likelihood of transfer of those practices to the classroom. Another current approach to professional development, known as school-based, delivers support to teachers in the eye of the storm, at the school site and in the classroom (Barkley, 2005). Proponents of school-based professional …

Core Conditions In Student-Centered Learning, Margaret Ann Hartford

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study explored core conditions in student centered educational settings by utilizing an ethnomethodological design to examine the experiences of self-selected educators throughout the United States. Through surveys and follow up interviews, educators reported their professional experiences regarding the core conditions in student centered learning as outlined by Carl Rogers and the impact these conditions played in the quality of educational experiences for the educators and their students in diverse settings. This study was also concerned with educators' self reports regarding their training and education regarding core conditions in student centered learning environments. This paper shares with readers a literary …

Assistive Technology As A Cognitive Developmental Tool For Students With Learning Disabilities Using 2d And 3d Computer Objects, Felipe D. Guevara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study presented a theory in which assistive technology and body kinesthetic helped students understand concepts taught in the regular education classroom. The study included students already identified and diagnosed with a learning disability (LD). The research is based on cognitive theories that state that cognitive development could use alternative representation to have a deeper impact in the way Students with LD process information by activating different parts of the brain that are involved in the learning process. The study included students from 9th thru 12th grades. Students were selected from the ones receiving services from the special education department …

The Effectiveness Of Multicultural Based Social Stories To Increase Appropriate Behaviors Of Children With Developmental Delay, Ning Hsu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The needs of students from culturally and linguistically diverse background have become a growing concern in America. It is a great challenge for educators to provide appropriate education for culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities. Although there are some researchers that espouse effective principles of multicultural special education, there have been few empirical on the effectiveness.

Social Stories are a practical behavioral intervention which has been regarded as an individualized intervention since the student's needs, background and learning style should be took into consideration. This present research used an ABA design to compare the modified social story with and …

Career Pathways And Demographic Profiles Of University Presidents In The U.S.: 2000-2008, Lourdes Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the career paths and profiles of contemporary university presidents. The study provided a broad perspective in terms of what institutions and governing boards are looking for when searching for a new president. It also helped to know the trends in those accepting these positions, namely education, career path, gender, and age. I I used the following questions to guide the focus of this study:

* RQ1. What are the demographic characteristics of current university presidents (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, and geography)?

* RQ2. What academic and …

Mexican-American Concepts On Gender And Identity: A Teacher's Perspective In A Fifth Grade Classroom, Cynthia Soto

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study primarily focuses on fifth-grade Mexican-American students and the factors that influence their views on gender and identity. Gender perspectives in the classroom have the potential to improve instruction and can positively affect students' motivations to learn. Literature can also influence students' gender perceptions and also contribute to gender bias in the classroom. This study works toward creating a non-biased learning environment.

The Effects Of Nclb On The Principal's Authority To Manage The Success Of English Language Learners, Dr. Annalisa Banegas-Peña

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) legislation on principals' authority to manage the success of English language learners (ELL). Seven research questions guided inquiry about the perceived effects of NCLB on the principal's authority to manage the success of the ELL. Participating principals were randomly selected. The only criterion was that their schools had to serve English language learners and that this population of students was aggregated into the accountability performance of the campus.

Definitions for transactional and transformational leadership styles were given to respondents to select from …

A Comparison Of The Profiles And Career Pathways, Terri Kaylene Jordan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Overview

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the personal characteristics and career pathways of the superintendents of the fifty largest public school districts in the United States and the chief executive officers (CEO's) of the top fifty Fortune 500 companies in the United States. The research questions that guided this study were: (1) What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the profiles of public school superintendents and CEO's of Fortune 500 companies? and, (2) What are the similarities and dissimilarities in the career pathways of public school superintendents and CEO's of Fortune 500 companies? Demographic information …

The Effects Of Program Model And Language On Science Taks Scores Among Fifth Graders, Stephanie Leigh Zelenak

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

THE EFFECTS OF PROGRAM MODEL AND LANGUAGE ON SCIENCE TAKS SCORES AMONG FIFTH GRADERS

This study examined the conditions of learning allowing students in one classroom to succeed on the fifth grade science TAKS test whereas students in other classrooms on the same campus do not succeed. It focused on the relationship of program models, specifically as it pertains to the influence of language within the content area of science and student performance on the fifth grade science TAKS scores.

To compare the academic achievement, as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, in grade five …

A Grounded Theory Study Of Inequities Of Power And Privilege: African-American Educators' Anti-Hegemonic Counter-Narratives, Bonnie Blidgen Mckinley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the racially relevant stories of African American teachers and educators in education settings. It explores the relationship of ideology, culture, and status as a minority while examining the intersection of this relationship in the context of a border community. It looks at beliefs and values about the teaching and learning process and attempts to determine if any of those beliefs, values and/or actions are functions of (real or perceived) racial discrimination. It also looks at reactions, responses, management, and eventual consequences of perceived institutionalized racism. This grounded theory study utilizes both survey and interview methods of data …

Communicative Feedback And Its Influence On Leadership In A Rural School Setting, Debora Zamorano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bulach, Boothe, and Pickett (1998), identified that most of the shortcomings educational administrators make fall into the category of poor human relations, and one of the categories of mistakes identified by the researchers is poor-interpersonal communication skills. Bulack and colleagues found that ineffective principals had interpersonal communication problems in the areas of providing and receiving feedback. Cannon and Witherspoon (2005) point out that providing feedback involves describing observed behaviors, as well as the reactions created.

Reeves (2004) also suggests that poor communication and ineffective feedback is relatively constant within the realm of educational leadership. Reeves notes that in terms of …

Student Performance With And Attitudes Toward Electronic Distributed Assessment In First-Year Composition Classes, Annette Arrigucci

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In Fall 2008, UTEP's composition department implemented a pilot program to test a redesign of English 1312, their second-semester freshman composition course. In addition to a redesigned curriculum, a system of electronic distributed assessment was implemented in ten sections of English 1312. Instead of the traditional format of a class where instructors grade all student assignments, a group of teaching assistants graded student writing anonymously using standardized grading rubrics. The system, which has been used at Texas Tech University since 2002, was put in place at UTEP in order to enhance efficiency and consistency in the teaching of this course. …

Dual-Language Education: A Longitudinal Study Of Students' Achievement In An El Paso County, Texas School District, Pauline Anne Dow

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation describes a longitudinal study of one-way and two-way bilingual education programs (also known as dual-language programs) to assess achievement of elementary-aged English learners (ELs) in a school district located in El Paso County, Texas, using both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests. The design features assessment for bilingual students' language skills in both English and Spanish, which allows for the examination of the interrelationships among skills in the two languages. The study also compares the achievement of ELs and non-ELs in the two-way program. The work reported in this Dissertation was conducted with a common group of children over a …

The Effect Of The Texas Student Success Initiative On Grade 5 Texas Assessment Of Knowledge And Skills (Taks) Failures, Ginny Lee Hunt

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In an effort to end social promotion and hold students' accountable for learning,retention in grade is included in promotion policies that require students to pass state tests and courses to be advanced to the next grade.

This study examined the impact of promotion and retention on the achievement of grade 5 students who failed the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The study compared the achievement of the grade 5 students who failed the TAKS tests in reading and math and were promoted to the

grade 5 students who failed and were retained to determine …

Perspectives Of White/Non-Hispanic Male Superintendents Of Majority-Hispanic School Districts In Texas, Samuel Franklin Hogue

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the dynamics and challenges which White/non-Hispanic male superintendents face in leading school districts where the majority of constituents come from a different ethnic or racial background than their own; specifically school districts where the constituency is majority Hispanic. It also identifies the career paths and educational experiences of value of White/non-Hispanic males who serve as superintendents of school districts with majority Hispanic student populations as well as ascertains the general leadership theories and/or styles these men subscribe.

This study advances the understanding of school leadership in majority Hispanic school districts that are led by White/non-Hispanic males, how …

Exploring Dialectic Tensions In Teachers' Relationships In School Settings, Griselda Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the feasibility of using dialectic theory to study of dialectic oppositions in teachers' school-based relationships. Employing relational dialectics as a theoretical framework, this study exposed several sets of dialectical forces emerging in teachers' relationships. 23 high school teachers were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire; interviews were transcribed and coded for analysis. The analysis revealed that the dialectic tensions of control vs. emancipation, empowerment vs. oppression are prevalent in teachers' relationships with administrators; the dialectic tensions of solidarity vs. autonomy and fragmentation vs. unity are common in the relationships of teachers with administrators and colleagues as well; while …

Unlocking Creativity In The Classroom, Rose Marie De La Cruz-Bechtel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Creativity is a process involving skills that can be presented and strengthened in a classroom setting. An overview of various research strands regarding creativity since 1950 is included. The pragmatic approach of Roger von Oech forms the basis for a selection of strategies useful for unlocking and encouraging creative thinking in the 4-8 classroom.

Educational Levels And Political Literacy: The Case Of Adults Enrolled In The Inea Program In El Paso,Texas, Carolina Pallares

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The political socialization process is ever-present in our daily lives. Traditional academic philosophies contend that one needs a formal education to achieve a high state of political awareness. This study challenges that traditional belief by proving that adults with little or no formal education can demonstrate a high level of political awareness.

The purpose of this study is to show that, absent a formal traditional education, individuals may be politically active and have an understanding of complex political issues. In order to test this hypoThesis, I interviewed participants enrolled in the Instituto Nacional de Educación para los Adultos, …