Education Commons^™

The Value Of Professional Learning Communities As Perceived By Novice Secondary School Teachers, Brandon J. Cotter

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The purpose of this study is to examine the perceived value that novice secondary school teachers have regarding the professional learning community process at Argo Community High School. The study uses qualitative methods in order to gather information about the novice teachers’ perceptions.

During the study, novice teachers with three or less years of experience were invited and selected to partake in completing a survey and structured interviews that helped provide insight as to their perceptions on the effectiveness of professional learning communities in making novice teachers feel supported through collaborative efforts.

The Influence Of Arabic Parental Involvement On Their Children's Academic Progress Currently Enrolled In First Through Third Grade In Worth School District 127, Sinead Chambers

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Worth School District 127 is located in the south suburbs of Chicago and maintains a K-8 student population of approximately 1,139 students. Twenty-one percent of Worth School District 127’s student population is considered to be English Learners (EL), and forty-seven percent of that population of students are Arabic students. There are currently two certified Arabic instructors employed by the district and one Arabic English Learners Tutor. All three of these staff members also serve as cultural brokers for Worth School District 127 and offer much academic and social support to the Arabic community of Worth. The number of Arabic families …

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy And Students' Behaviors, Loren Williams

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Around 17 million children in the U.S have or have had a behavioral health issue, but most are not treated. Eighty percent of children with anxiety are not receiving treatment, along with 40% of children with diagnosable ADHD/ADD and 60% of children with diagnosable depression. Untreated behavioral health issues have had a severe impact on the nation's economy. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, untreated behavioral health issues cost about $100 billion a year in lost productivity. The United States has a high population of both children and adults with untreated behavioral health issues. Children who have untreated …

Examining Organizational Learning Culture (Olc) In Schools Adopting Trauma-Informed Practices, Constance Grimm-Grason

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Trauma-informed practices represent a departure from the status-quo disciplinary practices originating from zero-tolerance approaches. This departure from the status-quo represents a transformative change in schools. Teachers are often the initial responders to student struggles or misbehaviors, and the teacher’s response is conditioned by their belief system, their self-efficacy, and the norms of the school where they teach. The shift to supportive school discipline approaches, such as trauma-informed practices, may alter the formal discipline norms of the school, but the shift may not transfer to the teacher’s belief systems, their sense of self-efficacy with trauma, or the informal norms of the …

Increasing Self-Efficacy In Providing Inclusive Practices To Students With Diverse Learning Needs, Teresa K. Nagy

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The purpose of this qualitative study was designed to determine if teachers in an elementary school in South Suburban School District in Chicago, Illinois increased their self-efficacy as it relates to serving students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment after receiving professional development. The study began with a historical review of students with disabilities and the current requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Reauthorization Act of 2004. Educational systems within the United States are required to provide services to students with diverse learning needs in the least restrictive environment. These supports are most commonly referred to as inclusive practices. …

An Anti-Deficit Approach To The Study Of Persistence: Factors Influencing Persistence Among Black Males Attending Community College, Donna K. Williams

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The vast majority of literature on postsecondary Black males emphasizes the lack of academic success for this segment. Research reports that Black males have lower levels of academic achievement, ranking at or near the bottom of most success indicators, which include enrollment, persistence, engagement, and attainment. However, in examining the discourse on postsecondary Black males, a great deal of research is deficit-based.

Providing a counter-narrative to the plethora of deficit-based literature on postsecondary Black males, this study is guided by an anti-deficit approach that seeks to highlight factors that influence persistence among Black men attending community college. This mixed method …

Superintendent’S Perception Of Their Use Of Authentic Leadership Skills, Melissa Mendoza-Thompson

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School superintendents are challenged with many complexities of the position. They must balance the needs of their School Board, who act as their direct supervisors and sometimes have agendas of their own. They must balance the needs of their administrative team, and often serve as a buffer between these administrators, their staff, the community, parents, and the Union. They must balance the many different needs of the community, and often serve as the “face” of the school district. Most importantly, these many needs often are in direct and indirect competition with the students, the very reason that schools exist. Of …

District Improvement Plan For Developing The Pedagogical Skills To Effectively Meet The Academic And Social-Emotional Needs Of Low Ses Students, Joseph V. Zampillo

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Worth School District 127 is located in the south suburbs of Chicago and maintains a K-8 student population of approximately 1,100. Sixty percent of Worth School District 127’s student population are considered to be of low socio-economic status (low SES) with the rate steadily increasing over the course of the last five years. Consequently, the growing number of students coming from low income backgrounds enrolled in Worth School District 127 has created a scenario where teacher exposure to the challenging academic, behavior, and social emotional scenarios that accompany the enrollment of this student demographic has increased. As a result, there …

Racial Identity And Resilience In Black Male College Graduates, Anancia Stafford

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The aim of this study was to see if there was a relationship between Black male college graduates and non-graduates’ racial identity. This study also sought to see if there was a relationship between Black male college graduates and Black male non-graduates’ resilience. Black people were not always afforded the opportunity to attend higher education, but the civil rights movement assisted with the abolishment of unfair laws that supported exclusion and segregation in the educational system. Since then, college enrollment has increased for Black people in America in both PWIS and HBCUs, but there exists a large gap in college …

The Underprepared And Underrepresented: Perceptions And Experiences Of Self-Efficacy On College Persistence Among Low-Income African American First-Generation College Students, Christine Marie Brown

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Approximately one-third of college students enrolled in colleges across the United States are first-generation students or those whose parents have not attained a post secondary degree. First-generation students are more likely to be students who are racially/ethnically diverse, low-income, and nearly four times more likely to leave college without a degree. College persistence refers to the students' desire and involved behaviors to maintain enrollment until degree attainment. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured interviews to describe the essence of the lived experiences of low-income African American first-generation college students who persisted in four-year undergraduate programs. Results …

The Implications Of Participatory Budgeting In Illinois K-12 School Districts, Jeremy Larson

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Financial management skills are a necessity for every leader in the work environment. It helps them to make the best choices with the capital resources that are available. Non-profit organizations face the scarcity challenge, and it may be difficult to strike a balance when implementing the budgets. Acquiring financial management skills helps the leaders to carry out a cost-benefit analysis that allows them to determine the departments that need more resources, and as a result, they end up creating development even when faced with financial difficulties. Collaboration is a necessity and an essential aspect of the K-12 budgeting process because …

The Transition From Act To Sat As The Illinois College Entrance Exam And The Potential Implications On Student Scores In Mathematics, William Rose

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For years schools have worked to create mathematics curricula that aim to both build students’ understanding of the course content and prepare them for questions styled like those on their college entrance exam. In previous years, the exam mandated by the state of Illinois was the ACT (American College Testing); however, starting with the 2016-2017 school year the policy has now changed to administer the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). This transition poses many potential implications on the performance of students. In order to help identify these implications, both exams were studied at great depth. The following paper will focus on …

Co-Teaching And Its Effect On Student Growth, Troy Weiss

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With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990 and again in 2004 Congress stated that students with special needs were to be educated in the least restrictive environment to the greatest extent possible. In order to meet the federal mandate many districts used co-teaching as a service delivery option for special needs students who are in a general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of co-teaching on academic growth, particularly for students with an Individualized Education Plan. When reviewing the literature it was found that co-teaching has been studied and …

Indigenous Student Retention In Arctic Higher Education, Evan Brown

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The primary focus of this capstone research is to identify the process of indigenous student retention policy in Arctic higher education institutions and compare these practices to existing retention and social theory. Much of the dominant literature on student retention addresses Euro-centric models, not fully addressing persistence issues with subjugated groups. There is a gap in the research with regard to indigenous Arctic student retention. By conducting a case study, data was gathered via the utilization of a variety of tools including archival records, interviews, direct observations, and document reviews. By adding to the body of work regarding student retention, …

International Baccalaureate Mathematics, Advanced Placement Mathematics, And Dual Credit Mathematics Courses – An In Depth Look, Lawrence Benjamin Jaskunas

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Every year in the United States, many students who believe they are fully prepared for college find out that they have to take remedial math courses before they can take any credit bearing math courses toward their degree. A student can avoid this situation by taking an early college program in high school and potentially earning a college math credit. The purpose of this research project was to take an in depth look at three such programs. The names of these programs are the International Baccalaureate program, the Advanced Placement program, and Dual Credit programs. This research project looked into …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Social Emotional Learning Standards, Stacy N. Fischer

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Today’s students do not come to school with the traditional set of academic proficiencies and emotional competence they once used to. In recent years, Social Emotional Learning has gradually gained a positive reputation in the educational community. The purpose of this investigation was to assess teachers on their knowledge and use of the Social Emotional Learning Standards, as well as their perspectives on the importance of these standards in the educational development of their students. A small pool of licensed teachers from the Cook County, Illinois area were polled by means of an electronically disbursed, anonymous survey. The overall results …

Reading Comprehension And Self Efficacy, Brittany Conway

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This study investigated whether or not there is a correlation between the self-efficacy of high school students and their reading comprehension scores at Smith High School. There were 24 students that participated in this study. Eight of those students were in special education and have an identified reading disability, eight were students in general education, and eight were in honors level reading. There were two instruments used in the study. One instrument used in the study was the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) Assessment (Northwest Evaluation Association, 2017), which was used to measure reading comprehension. The Reader Self-Perception Scale (Henk …

The Effect Of Electronic Text Reading On Reading Comprehension Scores Of Students With Disabilities, Rachel Krieger

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The growing use of technology in the classroom necessitates investigation into the effect technology has on learning. This causal-comparative study examined whether students with disabilities comprehend text better when it is presented electronically or in print. Thirty-one 11th and 12th grade students with varying disabilities read and answered questions on five print and five electronic reading comprehension passages. The results, examined using paired t-tests and Cohen’s d effect sizes, determined that the participants scored significantly better on electronic comprehension passages than print. Similar additional analyses were conducted on mean scores of students with a learning disability, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, and …

Pathways Of Leadership For Women In Higher Education Unions In Illinois: A Comparative Study Using Grounded Theory, Rochelle Robinson-Dukes

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This study focused on qualitative elements in its design. It sought to explore the process of women ascending to leaders in higher education unions and discover the barriers that derailed them or which they broke through on their leadership journey. It investigated the stereotypes and assumptions about women as leaders. The researcher looked at similarities and differences of the experiences of women in leadership roles to discover unknown phenomena within their unique experiences. Women in unions may be limited by proliferation of negative stereotypes and sexism. The purpose of this study was to explore the gender barriers of five women …

Perceptions Of The Paraprofessional’S Roles, Rachela Nicholls

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This action research project was designed to survey the perceptions of special educators and paraprofessionals on the various paraprofessional roles and levels of training offered. The most common paraprofessional roles and types and amounts of training opportunities available were analyzed so that school districts would have the essential data to make programming decisions regarding the effectiveness of the paraprofessional programs within their schools. By using a survey process, paraprofessionals and special educators were asked a series of questions pertaining to the frequency of participation in each paraprofessional role, levels of formal and/or on-the-job training provided, and how the paraprofessionals’ jobs …

The Transformation Of Homeless Adolescent Mothers Into Adult Leaders: Adolescent Pregnancy And Adolescent Reform, Annie Ware

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This phenomenological investigation recruited six female leaders using a convenient sampling method from social media connections and Governors State University’s graduate student distribution email lists to recruit leaders who were once homeless teenage mothers and resided in residential homeless shelters, foster families or without stable living arrangements. The women ranged in ages from 22 to 52. There was no restriction on race, ethnicity, or religion. The study included all women who were once homeless teenage mothers, yet ultimately attained a level of leadership within their chosen profession. Data uploaded into NVivo 11 from surveys and interviews were transcribed and coded …

Assessing General Education Teacher Training On Idea And Section 504 Law, Yolian Cintron

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The purpose of this study is to assess how much general education teachers actually know about the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in order to identify training needs for general education teachers regarding these two laws. A survey was created to cover several areas within the legal mandates of IDEA law (2004) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Results showed that teachers have a lot to learn about 1) the referral, assessment, and placement process; and 2) requirements of the IEP team meeting and the IEP document; and …

Teacher Knowledge And Use Of Universal Design For Learning, Katherine D. Mavrovic-Glaser

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Today's classrooms are composed with a wide variety of students. It is important for all teachers, both special and general education, to have the ability to teach a diverse group of students. In recent years, Universal Design for Learning {UDL) has gained a positive reputation as a scientifically validated teaching method that considers individuality. The purpose of this investigation is to assess teachers on their knowledge and use ofUDL. A small pool of licensed teachers in the Chicago metropolitan area were polled by means of an electronically disbursed, anonymous survey. The results show 55% of participants claim to be familiar …

Shifting Paradigms: Faculty's Navigation From The Classroom To Technology Enhanced Learning, Sheree Y. Sanderson

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Higher education is experiencing a decline in institutional resources, a change in student demographics, and a shift in teacher-to-student-centered learning. The impact of technology on faculty roles and the paradigm shift from the industrial age to the technological age has had a major influence on faculty and online teaching. This quantitative study was based on faculty technology experience, faculty’s attitude toward online teaching, the perceived quality of online teaching, and the institutional challenges; and how they impact faculty teaching modalities. It examined the training and support institutions provide to faculty as higher education becomes increasingly dependent on online teaching. Specifically, …

Mentoring Generation X Women: Program Elements To Increase Success For Principals Or Nonprofit Leaders, Mollie A. Bond

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Mentoring may encourage leadership development in Generation X women who wish to gain leadership positions in nonprofit sector organizations or school administrations. However, cultural values and female natural tendencies may form a glass ceiling for females seeking leadership roles. This qualitative study asked 11 women about their experiences in mentoring programs to determine if what elements are necessary for mentoring programs to help female Generation Xers be successful. Participants were mentored by females in one of two programs: the Chicago Women in Philanthropy (CWIP) Women’s Leadership Mentoring Program (WLMP) or the Metropolitan Institute for Leadership in Education (MILE) Principal Mentor …

Adapted Physical Education: Where Does It Stand?, Danielle M. Wilkins

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Sixty-six teachers were surveyed regarding adapted physical education. The three types of teachers surveyed were physical education, special education, and general education. The teachers' perceptions to the importance and necessity of adapted physical education were analyzed. The findings showed most physical education teachers felt training was inadequate in their preservice program, as well as in professional development to teach students with disabilities. Discussion of the results and implications for further research are provided.

Teacher Awareness Of Social Emotional Learning Standards And Strategies, Mary Reynolds

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This study investigated teacher knowledge and attitudes of both special education and general education teachers towards social emotional learning. A total of twenty-five certified special education teachers and twenty-five certified general education teachers were surveyed regarding their familiarity with the State of Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards. Teachers’ perceptions of the competency of their higher education preparation and professional development to meet their students’ social emotional needs were solicited. The data gathered from this study suggests that universities should prepare teachers more adequately in the areas of social emotional learning. The data also supports that there is a need for …

Student Perceptions Of The Check-In/Check-Out Intervention, Kara Noland

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This study investigated student perceptions of the Check-In/Check-Out intervention. Twelve students, who participated in the Check-In/Check-Out intervention were surveyed regarding their opinions and understanding of procedures. The data gathered from this study suggests that educators should look closer at the implementation of Check-In/Check-Out as well as those students who are unresponsiveness to the intervention. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Co-Teaching: How Do Teachers Rate Barriers To Effective Co-Teaching?, Christopher Ratcliff

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Students with disabilities are increasingly more present in high school general education class due to the pressures from federal legislation and disability advocates. In response, co-teaching model are being implemented by many school districts within the United States. The purpose of the study was to examine how teachers rate the effectiveness of co-teaching and the barriers to success. The study reflected a quantitative, descriptive approach using a survey design. A 20 item questionnaire was used to collect data on the perceptions of the participants. The participants for this study included professionals in the field of education, specifically teachers from both …

Trigonometry: An Overview Of Important Topics, Lauren Johnson

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The purpose of this project was to help students achieve a better understanding of Trigonometry, in order to better prepare them for future Calculus courses. The project is a tutorial that walks the student through important Trigonometry topics. The topics range from, but are not limited to, finding the measure of an angle to analyzing the graphs of Trigonometric Functions. Each topic allows an opportunity for the student to assess their understanding by working through practice problems and checking their solutions.

At any university, incoming students will have a wide variety of mathematical backgrounds. These students differ in age, in …