Education Commons^™

A Generic Qualitative Study Of District, School, And Teacher Leader Experiences With Increasing Reading And Writing Achievement, Jennifer Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

English Language Arts (ELA) test scores have declined since the 2020 COVID-19 virus caused schools and districts in the United States and around the world to shut down for substantial periods of time. School and district leaders and teachers across the country are working to increase ELA achievement.

In this generic qualitative research study, local district, school, and teacher leaders were interviewed and asked questions about their experiences with increasing reading and writing achievement using semi-structured interview protocols.

Four research questions were addressed. They concerned the challenges, successes, supports, guidance, mandates, and advice offered by district, school, and teacher leaders …

Student Achievement And Teacher Perceptions Of School Climate In Title 1 And Non-Title 1 Schools, Jennifer E. Pangle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between student achievement and teacher perceptions of school climate. An additional purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions between Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools. The final purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in teacher perceptions of school climate among the schools according to overall student achievement. A series of Spearman’s Correlation analyses were used to analyze data to determine if there was a significant relationship between TVAAS composite …

Teacher And Staff Perception Of School Climate: A Case Study, Michael Shane Hampton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how different public-school teachers and staff perceive school climate at an achieving public middle school. The research sought to find relationships between teacher sub-groups and other staff members, and how they perceived the school climate, either negatively or positively. The researcher believed that there would be a positive perception of school climate, which coincided with high student achievement. Additionally, it was believed that there would be no relationship between teacher types or demographics, and how the climate would be perceived among the different groups. This paper also presents a review of the …

The Influence Of Superintendent Longevity And Continuity On Student Achievement And Faculty Mobility, Craig M. Hutcheson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In New Jersey public schools, one constant measure of academic success is defined by the outcomes on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of the relationship between the school district superintendent and resulting PARCC scores, while also examining the strength of the relationship between the superintendent and the teacher mobility rate of each school district.

The conceptual framework for this study was based on theories and research by the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning’s (McREL) School District Leadership That Works; The Effects of Superintendent …

Administrators' Perceptions Of Arts Integration And Literacy Support For Elementary English Language Learners, Renee Marie Nebolon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a suburban California elementary school characterized by significant numbers ofEnglish language learners (ELLs), school and district personnel were concerned that literacy among these elementary students remained low despite a recent district focus on literacy. This qualitative study addressed the problem of elementary ELLs not achieving the literacy skills necessary for success in English Language Arts (ELA) courses in school. The purpose of this study was to examine administrators' perceptions on implementing arts integration (AI) as a strategy to support the literacy of ELLs in ELA courses, the potential challenges associated with this strategy, and their role in a successful …

The Influence Of Open Access On Advanced Placement Achievement, Shanna Howell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Preparing students for higher education is a primary aim of K-12 education. However, some high school graduates do not meet college readiness benchmarks and must take remedial noncredit courses in college (Adams, 2013; Butrymowicz, 2017). One of the strongest predictors of student success in college is rich and rigorous high school curriculum (Adelman, 1999; Adelman, 2006). The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers high school students college-level courses that can earn them college credits from participating institutions (Kolluri, 2018; Rothschild, 1999). College Board research overwhelmingly has indicated that the AP program is beneficial for students (Casserly, 1986; Dodd et al., 2002; …

Exploring Principals' Perceptions About Efficacy In Arizona Urban Schools Designated For The School Improvement Process, Charlotte Patterson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Studies have determined a positive relationship exists between the self-efficacy of students and academic achievement, and teacher efficacy and student achievement. For over a decade schools have been publicly targeted for school improvement in a process with implications for efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if principals’ perceptions about efficacy impacted their practices leading school improvement. Principals’ responses to two research questions led this study:

1. How do principals describe their perceptions about the efficacy of their school community relative to the school improvement status, label, or rating for their school?

2. How do principals describe …

Resilience And Academic Achievement In Minority Students, James A. Britton

Theses and Dissertations

Students can thrive within school programs and sustain their capacity for success despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles. A model of school-based resilience can insulate students from risk and help students acknowledge challenges, embrace them, and learn as students encounter challenge and surmount it.

This study of a high school program analyzed the relationship between educational resilience and academic achievement through a direct measure of resilience. The research investigated whether a program increased resilience for minority and low-income high school students and whether stronger resilience was associated with improved academic outcomes. Students in the program produced significantly better academic outcomes, as measured …

Relationship Between English Proficiency And Academic Achievement Of Nigerian Secondary School Students, Goldlyn Ugonna Ozowuba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian stakeholders are concerned with the continuous low scores of final-year senior secondary school students (FYSSS) in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Studies have shown that limited proficiency in English among FYSSS is the cause of low scores on the WASSCE. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between English proficiency and academic achievement among FYSSS as measured by the WASSCE. The theoretical framework for the study was Cummins's theory of second language acquisition to address the distinction between conversational language and academic language. Archival data from 225 FYSSS were collected from …

Strategies Used To Retain Teachers In Hard To Staff Schools, Levi Shavers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition has serious consequences in hard to staff schools. Mostly poor and ethnic minority students are deprived of being taught by stable, experienced teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used to effectively retain teachers in such schools through the perspective of teachers at a high school that comprises poor and ethnic minority students in southwest Georgia. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Chen's theory about race and social class which postulated that a high percentage of poor ethnic minority students results in low teacher morale. This study explored the reasons why teachers …

How Family Advocates Home-Visiting In A Midwestern Urban Area Describe The Impact Of Family Stress On Children’S Learning And Success In School, Virginia Lucio

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Seven Out of School Factors common among the poor that significantly affect the health and learning opportunities of children. In depth interviews were employed to allow six Family Advocates to answer interview questions regarding their experiences in witnessing the the seven factors. Findings suggest that many children possess one or more of the factors which are related to a host of poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological problems that children often bring to school, ranging from neurological damage and attention disorders to excessive absenteeism, linguistic underdevelopment, and oppositional behavior. Implications for future research …

A Study On The Effectiveness Of A Pilot Inquiry-Based Middle School Science Program On Non-Cognitive Outcomes And Academic Achievement, Rui Meira Dionisio

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The randomized research study assessed the effect of an inquiry-based science (IBS) program on non-cognitive outcomes and academic achievement. The study was the result of a grant that was awarded by Professional Resources in Science and Mathematics (PRISM), a program affiliated with Montclair State University in conjunction with Bristol-Myers Squibb, and part of the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative (NJSSI). The NJSSI is a partnership of schools, districts, colleges and universities, science centers, businesses, and museums dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of science, mathematics, and technology in New Jersey. The quantitative research study utilized an IBS instructional program …

The Influence Of Socioeconomic, Parental And District Factors On The 2013 Mcas Grade 4 Language Arts And Mathematics Scores, Dale G. Caldwell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory study utilized multiple linear and hierarchical regression to examine the predictive power of socioeconomic, parental and district factors on the total percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced Proficient on the 2013 MCAS Grade 4 language arts and mathematics test. The population for this study included 100% of the Massachusetts public school districts containing at least 25 valid MCAS Grade 4 language arts and mathematics test scores that were not regional or charter schools and had complete census data for the communities each district served. This study revealed that 74% of the 2013 MCAS Grade 4 …

A Study Of Instructional Methods On Fourth Grade Reading Achievement, Benita Jessup

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of 4th grade students read below the basic level. In one elementary school students participated in additional reading instruction as intervention for students scoring basic and below basic on the state standardized test. The purpose of this ex post facto non-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of direct instruction versus fluency (repeated reading) instruction on the reading achievement of 4th grade students. This study is based on the theory of automatic information processing in reading and the theory of prosody. The overarching research question for this study …

Academic Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, And Achievement Of Georgia Southern University Sophomore Students, John O. Lemay Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and their individual effects on student achievement are established factors that influence college students’ success. However, what is less clear are these variables’ relationships and their collective influence on achievement. Since students face unique trials as they persist through college, consideration of these relationships and their effect on the achievement of all students is necessary. There is a widening achievement gap between sexes; females have now passed males in enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Previous research in this area has been largely centered on undergraduate female students in their freshman year, but the …

The Impact Of Expertise And After-School Program Dosage On At-Risk Student Achievement, Heather E. Orman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

After-school programs (ASPs) aimed at improving at-risk student achievement abound and receive considerable funding. Research provides some evidence that ASPs can improve reading and math achievement for at-risk students, although rigorous evaluation of the programs and outcomes is minimal. Specifically absent from current ASP literature is examination of dosage, in the form of hours of program attendance, and its impact on at-risk student achievement. ASP research; research on learning and time; and expertise theory indicate dosage rates that are too low and too high will not impact student achievement.

This study investigates the impact of after-school program dosage and expertise …

A Collaborative Approach To Address Student Behavior And Academic Achievement Across Systems, Beverly Ngozi Okereke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Academic achievement and in-classroom behaviors are two significant child outcomes that affect student success in school. According to Systems Theory, in order to truly understand the factors that affect these outcomes for children, one must look to the major systems that encapsulate the child (including their school and home environments). This project is a meta-analytic review that examined the effectiveness of measures representing each system in predicting child achievement and behavior: School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) for the school as a system, level of parent involvement (high versus low) for the home system, and student motivation (intrinsic versus extrinsic) for …

The Influence Of Chronic Absenteeism On Grade 6, Grade 7, And Grade 8 2014 New Jersey Assessment Of Skills And Knowledge, Cheryl A. Dunlap

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This cross-sectional, correlational, explanatory study aimed to explain what influence, if any, chronic absenteeism has on Grade 6, 7, and 8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) performance, in the aggregate, when controlling for other influential student and school demographic variables. Student achievement scores on the Grade 6-8 ELA NJ ASK and Mathematics NJ ASK were analyzed separately. Analyses were conducted using simultaneous regression, hierarchical regression, and binary logistic regression models. All student data explored in this study pertained to 220 Grade 6-8 middle schools located in New Jersey during the …

Living Out Faith: Reflections On Motivation For Academic Achievement And Career Choice, Felicia D. Richardson-Mcgee

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

It has often been said that conversations concerning religion, sex and politics should be avoided in most, if not all social settings. In general, it was believed that discussions on these topics could lead to very heated and argumentative debates as the participants openly expressed their views on these subjects. Increasingly, however, religion has become a popular discussion topic in many areas, such as politics, health and medicine, and even the business world. This is likely because religion, for many, is an important part of daily life. It shapes how individuals see themselves and others in the world and may …

The Predictive Influence Of Family And Community Demographic Variables On Grade 7 Student Achievement In Language Arts And Mathematics, Adam Wolfe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory, longitudinal study sought to determine the combination of community and family-level demographic variables found in the 2010 U.S. Census data that most accurately predicted a New Jersey school district’s percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the 2010, 2011, and 2012 NJ ASK 7 in Language Arts and Mathematics. Analysis included simultaneous multiple linear regression and hierarchical linear regression. The population for this study included 100% of New Jersey school districts containing at least 25 valid NJ ASK scores in Language Arts and Mathematics for the years 2010-2012 and complete 2010 census data for the communities …

The Relationship Of Growth Mindset And Goal-Setting In A First-Year College Course, Chelsea E. Sorensen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that mindset and goal orientation are intricately related in motivation and academic achievement, which holds significant implications for students in higher education (Dweck, 2009). While growth mindset-focused intervention has been studied, finding improvement in mastery goal-setting (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, and Dweck, 2007), goal-focused intervention accounting for student mindset has not. Firstyear college students’ implicit theory of intelligence, or mindset, was measured before they were randomly assigned to set either a mastery- or performance-based goal in relation to their first exam in a difficult chemistry course. Upon receiving their first exam score, students were free to set whatever …

The Effects Of Differentiated Instruction On The Achievement Scores Of Struggling Fourth Grade Readers, Carol Elaine Boges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying an effective instructional strategy to remediate struggling readers is a goal for educators. Differentiated instruction (DI) has received much attention as a possible strategy to rectify literacy problems, but quantitative research on its effectiveness is limited. This quantitative study used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent, pretest-posttest design to determine if DI provided a significant difference in reading comprehension scores between struggling readers instructed with DI strategies and students instructed with whole group strategies. Philosophies grounded in cognitive constructivism constituted the theoretical framework for this study which examined the archival STAR reading assessment pre- and posttest instructional reading level scores of 120 …

The Relationship Between Middle School Configurations And Student Success, Asia Ali-Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public schools have used varying school configurations for middle grades-typically K-8 or traditional middle school arrangements-to improve students' academic outcomes. A small Northeastern school district was experiencing problems with student achievement, suspensions, and truancy, and was considering school configuration as a potential method of improving student performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the associations between school configuration and student achievement, suspensions, and truancy. Erikson's psychosocial theory of development and Dickinson's middle school philosophy guided this study since both address the needs of adolescents. Five years of archival data were collected from 2 demographically comparable Northeast school …

The African American Male Achievement Dilemma Through The Eyes Of The African American Male Superintendent, J.R. Falor Green

Theses and Dissertations

This research study explores the perspective of African American male superintendents on the African American male achievement dilemma. How do African American male superintendents theorize and respond to the underachievement of African American male students? Do their experiences give them greater insight, and how has this potential insight contributed to the implementation of initiatives that have improved the performance of this subgroup? Three major theoretical perspectives were explored during my review of the literature. Critical Race, Social Reproduction, and Oppositional Culture Theory encompassed the most consistent themes during my research, and helped to situate the study within the broader education …

The Relationship Between Family, Personal, And School Variables And The Math Achievement Of Elementary Students, Regina Wicker Kerr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators and teachers must determine the factors most associated with academic success in order to meet the academic needs of all students. Researchers have identified general risk factors such as student socioeconomic status (SES), but there may be additional unidentified factors correlated to student achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a set of school, family, and personal demographic variables and students' math achievement. Bandura's social learning theory, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Feurestein's mediated learning experience served as the guiding frameworks for this study. A descriptive correlational design was used to examine …

High School Student Athletes And Nonathletes' Disciplinary Referrals And Grade Point Averages, Jack Willard Calhoun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High School Student Athletes and Nonathletes'

Disciplinary Referrals and Grade Point Averages

by

Jack Calhoun

MEd, Georgia Southwestern State University, 1998

BS, Georgia Southwestern State University, 1997

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

December 2014

This quantitative study investigated how athletic participation in public high schools influenced students' academic achievement and positive social behavior. Disciplinary referrals are on the rise in American schools and are a cause of concern for teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. School personnel currently implement programs designed to curb discipline problems in the …

The Impact Of Low, Moderate, And High Military Family Mobility School District Transfer Rates On Graduating Senior High School Dependents' Achievement And School Engagement, Jeffrey K. Rippe

Student Work

The results of this study suggest that there were no significant differences in the academic performance of military dependents' with low (n = 20), moderate (n = 20), and high (n = 20) mobility school district transfer rates compared to non-military control students (n = 20) before completing high school. The findings were not consistent with some past research on student mobility. The research school district takes the goal of the Interstate Compact, which is to replace the widely varying treatment of transitioning military students with a comprehensive approach that provides a uniform policy in every school …

Is There A Relationship Between Ninth Grade Transitional Programs And At-Risk Student Achievement?, Susan Marie Stoddard

Dissertations

Transition into the ninth grade has long been a critical juncture for students as they make the move to a larger environment with less personal support and a more rigorous academic challenge. In an effort to help make the move from middle-to-high-school transition as smooth as possible, school districts are using Ninth Grade Academies, or innovative transitional strategies designed to address the key factors contributing to students dropping out: poor academic achievement, disengagement, and poor attendance. The purpose of the study was to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between the type of ninth grade transitional program and at-risk …

The Relationship Between Perceptions Of School Climate And Student Achievement In Schools That Use Jostens' Renaissance Programs, Amy Yarborough Coyne

Dissertations

Each school has unique attributes and a personality that gives the school a distinct climate. Psychological qualities that schools possess might include trust, collaboration, cooperation, teaching attributes, expectations, community involvement, and engagement (Rhodes, Camic, Milburn, & Lowe, 2009). Given information regarding school climate, relationship needs, and motivation, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of teachers involved in change and improvement processes and to determine whether academic change was related to the use of programs such as Jostens’ Renaissance.

The participants of this study consisted of 242 faculty and staff from five public schools from three separate …

Influence Of Teacher Qualifications, Experience, Instructional Methods, And Professional Development On Student Achievement On The Mississippi Writing Assessment In Grades Four And Seven, Stacy Kihneman Garcia

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher qualifications, experience, instructional methods, and professional development influenced student achievement on the Mississippi Writing Assessment in grades four and seven. The study was conducted in the three coastal counties of southern Mississippi. Participants were fourth or seventh grade teachers who taught in one of the eight school districts that were included in the study.

Participants were asked to provide information regarding their qualifications, amount of classroom experience, preferred instructional methods, and feelings on professional development. Also requested from each teacher was his/her classroom average on the Mississippi Writing Assessment from …