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Full-Text Articles in Education

Validation Of The Secondary School Admission Test (Ssat) Using Gpa, Psat, And Sat Scores, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable Oct 2013

Validation Of The Secondary School Admission Test (Ssat) Using Gpa, Psat, And Sat Scores, Meghan L. Kiley, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.


Transforming Equity-Oriented Leaders: Principal Residency Network Program Evaluation, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert K. Gable Apr 2013

Transforming Equity-Oriented Leaders: Principal Residency Network Program Evaluation, Donna Braun, Felice D. Billups, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

After 12 years focused on developing school leaders who act as change agents for educational equity, the Principal Residency Network (PRN) partnered with Johnson and Wales University’s Center for Research and Evaluation to conduct a utilization-focused (Patton, 2002) program evaluation funded by a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. The PRN is a principal preparation program of the non-profit organization, the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study explored PRN graduates’ outcomes and perceptions of the program, with an overarching purpose of creating a coherent data collection and inquiry process to be used by program …


Using Rasch Residuals To Analyze The Demographic Characteristics Of Respondents With Unexpected Incorrect Answers: Implications For Construct Validity, Robert K. Gable, Larry Ludlow, Ph.D., Stacey L. Kite Oct 2012

Using Rasch Residuals To Analyze The Demographic Characteristics Of Respondents With Unexpected Incorrect Answers: Implications For Construct Validity, Robert K. Gable, Larry Ludlow, Ph.D., Stacey L. Kite

Research Methodology

This paper illustrates the use of Rasch model residuals to better understand perceived respondent meaning and structure of item content in the context of construct validity. Data were gathered from1366 grade 7-8 students using the Survey of Knowledge of Internet Risk and Internet Behavior. The characteristics of the respondents with unexpected patterns of residuals for persons not fitting the Rasch model are examined for 7 items defining the Knowledge of Internet Risk scale. These analyses contribute to a better understanding of the item content and person scores, and contribute to more meaningful score inferences.


Conducting Focus Groups With College Students: Strategies To Ensure Success, Felice D. Billups Jan 2012

Conducting Focus Groups With College Students: Strategies To Ensure Success, Felice D. Billups

Research Methodology

Institutional researchers are often asked to conduct focus groups as an efficient way to address an institutional concern or problem. Typically, IR professionals depend on external consultants and specialists to conduct these group interviews for them; however, due to recent resource constraints (staffing, budgets), they are increasingly assuming responsibility for conducting the focus group sessions themselves. Institutional researchers require specialized skills in order to engage college students in this type of group interviewing; college students present specific characteristics and preferences that require careful consideration. Numerous research studies have used focus groups to support or augment research on college students (Breen, …


College Student Perceptions Of Student Life Programs, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D. Oct 2011

College Student Perceptions Of Student Life Programs, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.

Higher Education

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to describe and explore undergraduate student satisfaction with student life programming at a small, specialized college in the Northeast. Phase I of the study employed a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and extent of involvement with programming (N = 240); Phase II employed focus groups (N = 4) to further probe and clarify findings from Phase I and to develop a holistic profile of student perspectives on programs designed to supplement their collegiate educational experience.


Collegiate Administrator Perceptions Of Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of Metaphors, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D. Oct 2011

Collegiate Administrator Perceptions Of Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of Metaphors, Felice D. Billups, Ed.D.

Higher Education

This study sought to characterize college and university administrator perceptions of organizational culture, their perceptions of themselves versus other campus subcultures, and their perceptions of themselves as members of their campus communities, through an analysis of their use of metaphors. Primary research objectives included the identification of administrator perceptions of the dominant campus culture, their perceptions of related subcultures, their perceptions of group self-consciousness, and the characterization of administrators as a legitimate collegiate subculture. This study employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing metaphor analysis as the framework for individual interviews. The very nature of the problem (i.e. asking administrators to …


Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups Jan 2011

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups

Research Methodology

How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). …


Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups Jan 2011

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Metaphor Analysis, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

How would you describe your campus culture or your school environment? Would you carefully outline the details of the working conditions, the way people interact in meetings, or the unique communication style of your organization? Or would you rather use a descriptive phrase, or even a metaphor, to summarily reveal your organization’s culture? Metaphor analysis, as a means to uncover organizational culture, is an increasingly popular strategy for qualitative researchers. In interpretative qualitative studies, metaphors comprise a form of linguistic analysis which assists researchers who are interested in an intensive but short-term evaluation of organizational culture (Patton, 2002; Schmitt, 2005). …


The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michelle Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable Oct 2010

The Relationship Of Personality Traits To Satisfaction With The Team: A Study Of Interdisciplinary Teacher Teams In Rhode Island Middle Schools, Michelle Humbyrd, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

Shared practice in schools has emerged; teachers are moving from isolation to team collaboration where personality traits could be related to quality interactions. Team personality traits and team satisfaction were examined. A survey and interview approach was used for N = 244 full-time teachers from N = 49 interdisciplinary teams at N = 7 middle schools. Descriptive, correlational, multiple regression analyses and coded themes about team members’ personalities and interactions were employed. No significant relationships were found between the BFI traits and Satisfaction with the Team. Team-level analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between Satisfaction with the Team and Extraversion …


Perceptions Of Doctoral Students Regarding Factors Contributing To Student Success, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite Oct 2010

Perceptions Of Doctoral Students Regarding Factors Contributing To Student Success, Felice D. Billups, Stacey L. Kite

Higher Education

Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns, both academically and personally. However, minimal research has been conducted regarding the programs and services that appropriately meet their needs, ensuring their academic success. The purpose of this study is to describe doctoral student satisfaction with Ed.D. program support services, offered at a small university in southern New England. Qualitative data from the first phase of this study identified factors that impede or assist in the completion of the degree program. These findings were used to develop a quantitative instrument to determine the satisfaction and magnitude of importance from …


Teenagers’ Reasons For Listening To Music And The Students’ Perception Of The Effects Of Listening When Completing School Assignments, Jennifer Adriano, Thomas Dipaola Apr 2010

Teenagers’ Reasons For Listening To Music And The Students’ Perception Of The Effects Of Listening When Completing School Assignments, Jennifer Adriano, Thomas Dipaola

K-12 Education

Music is a significant part of our lives. People listen to music on the radio at home and in their car; they watch music videos on television or hand held technology; they buy CDs or download music; and they attend concerts. People also hear music in stores, restaurants, sporting events, and doctors’ offices (Schellenberg, Peretz, & Vieillard, 2008). Music is very important to many adolescents and they spend a considerable amount of their time listening to music. One study with N = 2,465 adolescents ages 13 and 14 found that participants listened to music for an average of 2.45 hours …


Academic Integration Of Doctoral Students: Applying Tinto’S Model, Felice D. Billups Jan 2010

Academic Integration Of Doctoral Students: Applying Tinto’S Model, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

Doctoral students comprise a unique population with special needs and concerns. While considerable research has investigated graduate student satisfaction and retention (Brandes, 2006; Golde, 1998; Tinto, 1987), much of the research views graduate students as extensions of undergraduates in terms of their motivations and needs.


Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite Oct 2008

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement ( R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge ( R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools ( R2 = 5%).


Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite Oct 2008

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

K-12 Education

No abstract provided.


Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite Oct 2008

Relationship Among Essential Leadership Preparation Practices And Leader, School, And Student Outcomes In K-8 Schools, Donna Braun, Robert K. Gable, Stacey L. Kite

Teacher Education

A questionnaire was administered to school principals (N=88). The questionnaire data, along with student data, were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to investigate the relationships among leadership preparation practices, self rated leader behavior, the school learning environment, and student achievement. After controlling for demographic variables, the amount of variance explained was incremented a statistically significant degree between: preparation practices and leader behaviors (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and student achievement (R2 = 5%); preparation practices and leaders’ instructional knowledge (R2 = 6%); and leaders’ instructional knowledge and instructional practices in schools (R2 = 5%).


Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study Of The Factors Leading To Persistence, Felice D. Billups Oct 2008

Measuring College Student Satisfaction: A Multi-Year Study Of The Factors Leading To Persistence, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

How satisfied are students with their college experience? Do they receive the academic and social benefits they expect when they enroll? At what point do they decide that their institutional choice is a “fit” or not? Numerous researchers have investigated these questions for decades (Astin, 1977; Noel, 1978; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Peters, 1988; Tinto, 1987). In the end, most researchers agree that highly satisfied students are more likely to remain in, and ultimately, graduate from college. One of the ways that colleges measure student satisfaction is through the administration of student satisfaction surveys. Satisfaction survey programs emerged in the …