Education Commons^™

Mathematics Curriculum Coaching And Elementary School Students’ Mathematics Achievement In A Northeast Tennessee School System, Evandro R. Valente

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educators and policymakers have demonstrated interest in finding ways to better equip mathematics teachers so they can help students achieve at a higher level. Academic coaching has been identified as an effective professional development activity for teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between students’ achievement levels before and after a mathematics initiative in a Northeast Tennessee school district. In this study I analyzed grades 3 – 6 students’ Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program or TCAP scores in the year prior to the hiring of a mathematics coach and their respective scores 2 years after the placement …

Summer Credit Recovery And Middle Grade Students, James C. Sharp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in student success by retained students who participate in the Hamblen County (Tennessee) Credit Recovery Program [HCCRP] in the year prior and following their participation. HCCRP is an alternative intervention for students who have been retained in the middle grades of Hamblen County School System. Student success was defined and assessed in the areas of academic proficiency, discipline, and student absenteeism. Student information regarding each area was obtained from the Hamblen County School System, coded, and analyzed through quantitative testing.

This study was guided by 8 research questions and 8 …

Educational Leadership Program Emergent Design As Experienced By The Greene-King Cohort At East Tennessee State University, Brian S. Cinnamon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine perceptions of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) cohort members on the experience of redesigning the leadership preparation program requirements. Particularly, cohort participants in the Greene-King cohort were chosen by an admission process to participate in a grant program as governed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in partnership with ETSU and local school agencies in Greeneville and Kingsport. The ETSU Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) in the Claudius G. Clemmer College of Education collaborated with Kingsport City and Greeneville City school districts to redesign educational leadership …

Teaching Experience And Perceived Challenges For School Administrators Regarding Job Stress, Respect, Student Achievement, Assessment & Evaluation, And Professional Development, Erika H. Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether an administrators’ professional teaching background and years of administrative experience influence their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges they face guiding the improvement of teaching and learning. Specifically this research analyzed administrators’ perceptions of level of stress, respect among colleagues and school community, professional development, student achievement, and assessment and evaluation. Participants in this study consisted of Tennessee and North Carolina principals, assistant principals, and associate principals within a 60 mile radius of the East Tennessee State University campus. Data were collected through an online survey system, Survey Monkey. The …

Perceptions Of Tennessee School Principals About The Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (Team), Carmen Belcher Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the perceptions of Tennessee principals about the implementation of the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) and the impact of TEAM on teachers’ instructional practice and professional growth. Participants in this study were PK-12 public school principals from 12 districts in the First Region of Tennessee who were implementing TEAM in the 2011-2012 school year. Specifically this research was guided by 8 research questions on principal’s perceptions about TEAM providing appropriate and effective professional growth for teachers and the principal’s perception about their ability to adequately perform the requirements of TEAM. The …

Academic Achievement Of Elementary Students: A Comparison Study Of Student Athletes Versus Nonathletes, Kimberly R. Dyke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The place of sports in academic institutions has been analyzed at length for several years. However most studies focus on the participation of high school and university students in school sports. Very little research exists to suggest a positive or negative correlation between academic achievement and participation in interscholastic sports at the elementary level. As a result the relationship between academic performance and participation in school sports among elementary students in grades 4 and 5 was investigated in this study. Through an independent-samples t test analysis of 1,605 fourth and fifth grade boys and girls, it was determined that students …

Response To Intervention Framework And Progress Monitoring Process: K-3 Regular Education Teachers’ Perceptions, Jarrod G. Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions regular education teachers have of the Response to Intervention framework and the Progress Monitoring Process. Participants of the study included 246 K-3 regular education teachers from 4 Northeast Tennessee school systems. The survey achieved a 42% return rate for a total of 104 participants. Specifically, this research assessed K-3 regular education teachers’ perceptions of the RTI framework as a whole, their perceptions of the progress monitoring process, their perceptions of their readiness to implement an RTI framework, their perceptions of the effectiveness of the professional development opportunities they had …

Academic Performance Of First-Year Students At A College Of Pharmacy In East Tennessee: Models For Prediction, Cheri W. Clavier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increase of students applying to pharmacy programs, it is imperative that admissions committees choose appropriate measures to analyze student readiness. The purpose of this research was to identify significant factors that predict the academic performance, defined as grade point average (GPA) at the end of the first professional year, of pharmacy students. The population consisted of 466 students enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program in northeast Tennessee over a 5-year period. Statistical procedures included bivariate correlations, t-tests for independent samples, and multiple regression. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the students in the population …

Technology Implementation: Teacher Age, Experience, Self-Efficacy, And Professional Development As Related To Classroom Technology Integration, Stephanie Renee Tweed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the combination of factors that pertain to the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. Specifically, the study was an analysis of the age of the teacher, years of teaching experience, quality of professional development, and teacher self-efficacy as defined by Bandura (1997) to examine the manner in which these factors relate to implementing new technologies in the classroom. Participants in this study were located in 2 different school districts in East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to K-5 teachers by way of email from school …

Practice Characteristics Of Graduates Of East Tennessee State University Quillen College Of Medicine: Factors Related To Career Choices In Primary Care, Ivy A. Click

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nation is facing a physician shortage, specifically in relation to primary care and in rural underserved areas. The most basic function of a medical school is to educate physicians to care for the national population. The purpose of this study was to examine the physician practicing characteristics of the graduates of East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine including factors that influence graduates’ specialty choices and practice locations, especially those related to primary care. Secondary data for this study were collected from the college’s student database system and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. The study population included …

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College-Level, Jama R. Spicer-Sutton Mrs.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine a student‟s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students‟ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and posttest scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college-level introductory computing class. This study also determined whether there were differences in improvement scores by gender or age group. The results of this study were used to determine whether there was a difference in improvement scores among the 3 campus locations participating in this study.

Four hundred sixty-nine …

Hope's Voice: Listening To Urban Youth, Michael Stephen Roth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For several decades, there has been a large gap between the achievement scores of urban youth of color and their white counterparts. This achievement gap persists despite the efforts of educators and policymakers to close it. This descriptive study examined the perceptions of urban youth of color regarding their role in school and the support and barriers they encountered related to academic achievement in school.

Duncan-Andrade (2009) compares schooling in underserved communities to growing roses in concrete. He argues that the conditions of life for urban youth of color are in themselves oppositional forces. He writes that hope is required …

Managing Threats: Examining Intra-Organizational Collaboration Between Academic And Student Affairs Divisions, Mignon Chinn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tragic shootings in classrooms on the campuses of Virginia Tech (2007), Louisiana Technical College (2008), and Northern Illinois University (2008) where 39 students and faculty members lost their lives shattered perceptions of the college campus as a safe haven (Dungy & Roberts, 2010), brought heightened awareness to the decade-long increase of students with "severe mental health issues" enrolled in postsecondary education (Goldrick-Rab & Cook, 2011), and became a "tipping point" for new resource allocations for violence prevention in higher education (Dunkle, 2009). Following The Virginia Tech Panel Review (2007), threat assessment and management teams (TAMTs) became an intervention of choice. …

Standardized Testing Placement And High School Gpa As Predictors Of Success In Remedial Math, Susan Carol Burrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between success in elementary algebra and a set of predictor variables including COMPASS score and high school GPA. Relationships for intermediate algebra and college credit accumulation over three semesters were also examined with COMPASS score and high school GPA as predictor variables. The study was conducted in a multi-campus regional rural community college in the southeast United States. The sample included 527 community college freshmen placing via COMPASS score into elementary algebra. Cases were sorted and 216 case level files were selected for study inclusion, 85% of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Academic Dishonesty And Moral Development In Law School Students, Macey Lynd Edmondson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored whether a relationship existed between moral development and dishonest academic behaviors in law students. The quantitative portion of the study utilized a survey adapted from James Rest's Defining Issues Test and Donald McCabe's Academic Integrity Survey. Law students were solicited by email from two public institutions. The usable sample included 134 law students in the first, second, and third years of law school. Qualitatively, a law school honor council chair was intervieas part of a case study. The transcript was coded and explored for themes and emerging topics. In tandem, the quantitative and qualitative aspects …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Activities Which Result In Successful Integration Of Classroom Instructional Technologies, Lisa Blackmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research demonstrates the expectation of the use of technology in schools. Advances in technology often require teachers to learn new methods of teaching while trying to keep up with rapidly increasing technological changes. Unfortunately, many teachers report being inadequately prepared to utilize instructional technologies in their classrooms. School leaders have the complex task of providing effective training that meets their teachers’ needs. In this quantitative study, the author sought to determine teachers’ perceptions of professional development activities which result in successful classroom integration of instructional technologies in schools. Teachers from two school districts in Georgia were surveyed. Data were …

Perceptions Of Teachers And Administrators Regarding The Teacher Evaluation Process, Joy Davis Sheppard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher evaluations can be a tool for increasing teacher effectiveness and accountability if it is determined how evaluations can be best used. According to current literature, this is not the case. It is more pertinent than ever that administrators use evaluations to strengthen marginal teachers and further develop skills of teachers who are already proficient. However, few studies exist pertaining to teacher and administrator perceptions of teacher evaluation effectiveness and even fewer focus Georgia teacher evaluations. The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate perceptions of the teacher evaluation process held by teachers and administrators in southeast Georgia so …

Elementary Principals' Leadership Practices Towards Response To Intervention (Rti) Implementation: Perceptions Of Teachers In Southeastern Georgia, Oatanisha Renee Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principals are responsible for overseeing all of the school’s programs and initiatives. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a federal initiative that is a multi-tiered approach to highquality instruction and ongoing monitoring of students’ academic and behavioral progress. Although RTI models vary across the U.S., it is the principal who is accountable for students’ overall achievement within the building. With teachers as the direct recipients and observers of their leadership practices, principals implement a tiered intervention process under the influence of national and state guidelines although best practices for implementation are limited.

he purpose of this study was to investigate teacher …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of Reduced School Budgets On Their Ability To Meet Instructional Needs Of Their Students, Brenda D. Edenfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While federal and state leaders have been calling for increased instructional time, the U.S. has been undergoing an economic decline that has resulted in decreased education budgets. This decreased funding has resulted in fewer instructional days, fewer planning and professional learning days for teachers, and smaller school staffs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the economic downturn on elementary instruction in southeast Georgia classrooms. The study design was quantitative non-experimental and employed a survey to gather data from elementary teachers across three southeast Georgia school systems. Results were examined to determine the impact of the …

The Relationship Between Mandatory School Uniforms And Attendance, Jessica Mayweather

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a relationship exists between the implementation of a mandatory uniform policy in an urban public middle school and student attendance rates (as measured by the schools yearly progress report collected by the state Board of Education). Four schools serving students in grades 6-8 in an urban school district in Georgia were included in this study.

Three comparisons were used to determine whether or not and, if so, the extent to which the relationships existed. Some qualitative and quantitative measures were utilized in the design of this mixed method study. These methods …

Parent Expectations Of Elementary Schools And The Leaders, Teachers, And Staff: An Examination Of Elementary Schools In A Southeastern Georgia School District, Ella B. Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public schools are experiencing major demographic shifts in the school-age population (Hardy, 2004; Hartman, 2002; Olson, 2005; Rodriguez, 2002; Zehr, 2000). As schools attempt to address the challenges that accompany increasing demographic changes in public schools, a key component of their efforts should include determining parental expectations and how those expectations differ and are influenced by demographics such as race and ethnicity, SES, and level of educational attainment of the parents. Elementary schools must respond to parental expectations in a manner that helps to establish a foundation for students to reach their academic potential, thus providing a quality of education …

Perceptions Of Mentoring: Examining The Experiences Of Women Superintendents In Georgia, Scarlett Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of women superintendents working in Georgia public schools exceeds the national average, but unfortunately, when compared to the number of men in the same position, women are not as well represented. This gap between female and male superintendents, and the reasons why this disparity exist, has been the subject of many research studies. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is a lack of mentoring for women superintendents.

This descriptive mixed methods study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on the mentoring experiences of women superintendents in Georgia. The quantitative participants in this study included 39 women superintendent in …

"A Song For You" As Tribute To The Daughters Of The South: Illuminating The Work Of Black Women Principals, Beverly Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum can be understood as a place of both struggle and possibility, where curriculum workers engage in complicated conversations about self, society, and the purposes of education (Pinar, 2004). Although curriculum theorists have contributed much to discussions of how to improve the current state of education, little attention in the field is given to the role that leadership can play in educational transformation (Ylimaki, 2011). This study contributes to the field of curriculum studies by exploring the ethics of care of Black women public school principals in the South.

By exploring the life experiences of Black female principals from the …

The Impact Of School District Size On Wellness Policy Strength, Comprehensiveness, Implementation Status And Barriers In South Dakota Schools, Emily Kranz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: The purpose of this project was to determine if differences exist in strength, comprehensiveness, perceived implementation, and barriers of school wellness policies between public school districts of varying size in South Dakota. Methods: All public school districts within South Dakota (N=151) were contacted and asked to submit their current wellness policy. The strength and comprehensiveness of each written policy was assessed via WellSAT. An electronic invitation to complete the School Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices Survey was sent to all Kindergarten-12th grade school principals (N=96) to assess perceived policy implementation and barriers. Results: Wellness policies were collected from 70 …

Mentoring School Leaders: Perspectives And Practices Of Mentors And Their Protégés, Dana Sue Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful tool to help prepare future school leaders in the context of leading a school. The purpose of this study was to identify perspectives and practices employed in mentoring relationships within a principal preparation program. Through interviews, observations, and the analysis of artifacts, this study identified how these mentors supported their protégés in the development of theoretical understanding, technical skills, and reflective practice.

This study took a multiple case study approach to analyze data about leadership mentoring obtained within three-cases of a mentor and the mentoring relationship with his or her protégé. Each …