Education Commons^™

Supporting Fourth Grade Reading Students Using Retrospective Miscue Analysis As A Response To Intervention Model, Michelle Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Despite extensive research on Response to Intervention and Retrospective Miscue Analysis, students in fourth and fifth grade are still reading below grade level. This case study investigated how Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA) implemented during Response to Intervention (RTI) assists students in learning to apply new reading strategies that increase comprehension. Over a twelve week period, data were collected in four contexts. First, orally administered pre/post-Burke Reading Inventory. Secondly, computer generated STAR assessment for screening and progress monitoring. Thirdly, one-on-one Dominie. Finally, audio recording of student read aloud, retelling and follow-up discussion. Students’ responses on pre-Burke Inventory indicated students think reading …

Preservice Physical Education Teacher’S Value Orientations Across The Student Teaching Semester, Heesu Lee

Theses and Dissertations

It is of interest to physical education teacher educators to prepare pre-service teachers (PTs) to promote learning based on the five National Standards for K-12 Physical Education (NASPE, 2013). These National Standards reflect value orientations. However, limited empirical evidence exists that examines what value orientations PTs endorse and how physical education teacher education (PETE) programs influence their value orientations. The purpose of this study was to 1) examine the initial value orientations of PTs at entry into the course of student teaching, 2) describe how their value orientations change/develop and/or are maintained across the course, and 3) explore factors that …

State Of The University, Fall 2015, John Pelissero

Loyola University Chicago Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

Reform Through A Student Lens: The Experience Of Latino A Students In An International Baccalaureate Diploma Program In Chicago, Sandra Arreguin

Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of Latinos participating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in Chicago. Phenomenological interview techniques were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of Latino students in IB. By looking at Latino/a students separately the study captured the strengths, challenges, and needs unique to this group, which will inform the future of this rapidly growing curriculum reform effort.

Instructional Leadership And Deliberate Practice: A Framework For Improving Student Achievement, Matthew Henry Banach

Dissertations

This study examined whether the theory of deliberate practice could be applied and expanded to the field of education to explain how school leaders successfully work with teachers to improve student achievement in schools with a high percentage of student identified as minority and low income. For the purpose of this study, deliberate practice is defined as practice that is "(a) at an appropriate level, (b) provides informative feedback, (c) provides for opportunities for repetition, and (d) allows for correction of errors" (Sternberg, Grigorenko, & Ferrari, 2002, p. 71).

The researcher completed a qualitative case study of two public elementary …

The Role Of Instructional Leadership On Teacher Induction And Professional Longevity: A Case Study, Jeremy E. Burnham

Dissertations

This research study examines the perceived impact of teacher induction programs on public high school novice and beginning career-change teachers. This study seeks to explore the differences in perceptions of public high school novice teachers versus public high school beginning career-change teachers in regards to the efficacy of induction programs.

Through a case study design that utilized qualitative questionnaires, individualized interviews, and document analysis, the researcher uncovered data, which highlighted the importance of addressing the individual needs of public high school novice and beginning career-change teachers in district induction.

The conclusions that follow summarize the utilization of Allan A. Glatthorn's …

Detention Center To Home School: The Path Of Transition, Sarah Hogeveen

Dissertations

This study examined the way a juvenile detention center and local feeder high schools worked in conjunction with each other to educate students that are incarcerated and then transition back to their home school. The goal of this study was to determine the adequacy of the transition/re-entry plan and then develop a template to assist high schools in the transition process. The transition/re-entry process into the home high school can be difficult and often involves several agencies. The evidence has suggested that there is not a solid transition plan available or in place for this process. This evidence allowed for …

A Community-University Partnership: Collaborating To Improve Teacher Preparation For An Urban Indigenous Community, Anna Lees

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored a community-university partnership for teacher preparation with an urban Indigenous community organization in Chicago, Illinois. In the examined partnership, Indigenous participants collaborated with university faculty to prepare graduate-level students in an initial preparation program. I examined the impact of the partnership on the participating Indigenous community members, emphasizing how their interactions with university faculty and teacher candidates impacted the Indigenous organization and participants. Indigenous participants considered what teachers must understand to serve urban Indigenous children and the community's role in teacher preparation.

I collected data through focus groups with Indigenous participants before and after engagement …

Science Teaching And Learning As Transformation: Making Meaning With My Students, Megan Marie Leider

Dissertations

As a classroom science teacher, I have experienced firsthand the disengagement and disinterest students have with science. Students often struggle to retain information from year to year, feel comfortable in the science classroom, and see the connections between the science taught in the classroom and their lived experiences. It is obvious to me that we could do more for our students. One way in which to assist students with science learning is through the incorporation of Sci-YAR (Science Youth Action Research). Sci-YAR is a curricular framework and instructional strategy that places the student at the center of their learning. It …

The Effects Of The 2008 Financial Recession On Superintendents’ Leadership And Decision Making, Elizabeth Ann Mcnamara

Dissertations

This dissertation explored the possible effects that the 2008 financial recession might have had on superintendents' leadership and decision-making. A great deal of scholarship has addressed the effects of the 2008 financial recession as well as educational leadership, however, few studies have investigated the direct impact of the 2008 financial recession on superintendent's leadership.

The study answers the following research questions:

1. According to superintendents whose tenure included years 2007 to the

present day, what considerations did they bring into their decision making

regarding reductions within their school district?

a. What considerations were made regarding reductions in the

area of …

Shifting Professional Culture In Catholic Schools: A Case Study, Sandria Morten

Dissertations

This action research study explores the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at three Catholic schools in a large Midwestern Archdiocese and the impact on the schools' professional cultures. The three-article dissertation structure is used to reflect separately on the stages of problem identification, designing the solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. The purpose of this project is to capture an insider's view of beginning the PLC journey.

Researchers first conducted problem-based consultations with principals and teacher leaders at the three schools in an effort to understand and define common barriers that prevented teacher collaboration and ownership of school …

A Comparison Of Extra-Curricular Codes Of Conduct At Two Suburban Illinois High School Districts (1986-2011), Ted Robbins

Dissertations

This study investigates two Illinois High School districts from the years 1986-2011 and their extra-curricular Codes of Conduct. It begins by reviewing the evolution and background history of extra-curricular Codes of Conduct in Illinois High Schools. The specific development, evolution, implementation, and changes to the Codes of Conduct in two Illinois high school districts are then examined.

The research questions of this study focus on four topics; what was the evolution of the Codes of Conduct at the two Illinois high School districts, who were the advocates and leaders for changes to the consequences of a Code of Conduct violation, …

A Historical Analysis Of The Pioneers And Advocates Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (1980-2013): Examining The Evolution Of The Diagnosis And The Influences That Have Shaped What The Diagnosis Is Today, Cynthia Marie Sikora

Dissertations

During the 1980's, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was categorized as a developmental disorder separate from other developmental disorders, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III (DSM-III). There were various pioneers and advocates who have helped the evolution of the ASD diagnosis from the time period of 1980-2013. Based on this evolution, schools, institutions and society as a whole, needed additional information and professional preparation in order to educate and create awareness regarding the treatment and education of individuals with ASD.

The central research questions are: During the time period from 1980-2013, who were the pioneers and advocates …

Shifting Professional Culture In Catholic Schools: A Case Study, Debra Sullivan

Dissertations

This action research study explores the implementation of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at three Catholic schools in a large Midwestern Archdiocese and the impact on the schools' professional cultures. The three-article dissertation structure is used to reflect separately on the stages of problem identification, designing the solution, and implementing and evaluating the solution. The purpose of this project is to capture an insider's view of beginning the PLC journey.

Researchers first conducted problem-based consultations with principals and teacher leaders at the three schools in an effort to understand and define common barriers that prevented teacher collaboration and ownership of school …

Teacher Mathematics Language: Its Use In The Early Childhood Classroom And Relationship With Young Children's Learning, Emma Whitman

Dissertations

Early mathematics instruction has been linked to children's later outcomes in both literacy and mathematics. One important component of this instruction, teachers' mathematics language in the early childhood classroom, has been connected to children's mathematical gains. However, this work is lacking in both scope and depth. The objective of this study was to provide a review of the use of math language by early childhood teachers and address the issues neglected in the current literature. The study looks at: the type of content that teachers' mathematics language emphasizes, the mediating effects of settings on the mathematics language that is used, …

Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Early Mathematics: What Teachers Know And How It Associates With Teaching And Learning, Yinna Zhang

Dissertations

The study was designed to examine the profile of early childhood teachers' content-specific knowledge, also referred to as pedagogical content knowledge, in early mathematics (PCK-EM) and investigate how PCK-EM relates to the quality of their mathematics teaching quality and students' mathematical learning outcomes. A total of 182 teachers working with high need students from Pre-K through Grade 3 in an urban public school system participated in the study and analyzed a video of mathematics teaching through an online survey. The results painted a bleak picture regarding the profile of early childhood teachers' PCK-EM: as a whole, teachers' survey responses lacked …

Latino Students In Suburban High Schools: An Examination Of School Malleable Predictors Of High School Graduation, Kira Jean Hicks

Dissertations

Despite recent gains, Latino students drop out of high schools in the United States at a higher rate than their peers and at a significant cost. As more Latino students move to the suburbs, it is important for suburban high schools to meet their needs and solidify their path to graduation. Practices that appear to be promising in keeping students on track to graduate have been developed and studied in urban education settings and need to be validated with other populations and settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the indicators that are predictive of on time graduation …

Speculation: The Future(S) Of A Global Education Market, Kaine Osburn

Dissertations

This dissertation establishes a structural understanding of what is necessary to imagine in material terms the future of how education will be financed and how education knowledge will be circulated on a global scale. Making explicit a governmentality perspective for examining neoliberal constructions of education policy and practice first, this dissertation applies that perspective to understanding the trajectory of World Bank policies on financing and governing education over the last twenty years. While the first three chapters draw on existing conceptual and policy work, the chapters combine aspects of them in new ways which reveal a clear understanding of an …

Shifting Narratives In Doctoral Admissions: Faculty Of Color Understandings Of Diversity, Equity, And Justice In A Neoliberal Context, Dian Drew Squire

Dissertations

Little is known about how faculty make decisions in the doctoral admissions process or how they conceptualize diversity, equity, and justice in those same processes. As the United States continues to diversify, understanding how students are selected into graduate programs and how faculty understand diversity, equity, and justice is increasingly important to supporting diverse leadership bodies and shaping an inclusive campus cultural context. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and critical discourse analysis to explore how faculty of color understand diversity, equity, and justice norms, values, and behaviors in the doctoral admissions process in Higher Education and Student …

Exploring The Impact Of Mindfulness On Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Approach, Poonam Desai

Dissertations

As social emotional learning gains greater focus, identifying effective interventions for high-risk students, such as students with Emotional/ Behavioral Disorder (EBD), becomes a priority. Mindfulness, as an intervention, offers a unique set of skills to increase emotional awareness and regulation, while also teaching key social emotional skills (Singh et al, 2007). Mindfulness, or the nonjudgmental observation of one's thoughts, feelings, and emotions, has roots in Buddhist philosophy, but is used secularly in the fields of psychology, medicine, and education (Baer, 2003). In this mixed methods study, the researcher aims to examine the experiences of adolescents who have EBD at an …

Incomplete Reporting: Addressing The Problem Of Outcome-Reporting Bias In Educational Research, Brian Patrick Trainor

Dissertations

Outcome-reporting bias is a problem that pervades many research disciplines including education. Outcome-reporting bias involves any time the outcomes presented in a published journal article do not accurately reflect all of the outcomes that were collected throughout the course of a study. In other words, when outcome-reporting bias is present, the information which is disseminated to the academic research community is incomplete and can lead to serious problems over time. Some of these problems include school districts implementing interventions based on incomplete or inaccurate data, as well as the problem that naturally arises for those implementing meta-analysis or systematic review …

Mandated Reporting: An Examination Of Training And Practice Of School Psychologists, Katie Nicole Bradshaw Sears

Dissertations

This study sought to explore the training opportunities, knowledge, confidence in intervening, reporting behaviors, and types of supervision received and given in the areas of child maltreatment and mandated reporting by practicing school psychologists. Little is known about school psychologists' knowledge of child maltreatment and specific mandates about reporting suspicions of abuse or how to appropriately respond to disclosures of abuse (Arbolino et al., 2008). Given school psychologists' unique role in schools working directly with children, it is not uncommon for school psychologists to either suspect maltreatment is occurring or to hear a disclosure of maltreatment directly from a student. …

Embedding Self-Determination And Futures Planning Within A Schoolwide Framework, Hank Bohanon, Jose Castillo, Morgan Afton

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the infusion of self-determination approaches (e.g., futures planning) within a schoolwide context. Unfortunately, some students are not explicitly instructed by school staff to address their plans for the future. This may be a result of school professionals’ feelings of inadequacy to address skill sets outside of their specialization (e.g., content area, special education). By connecting self-determination practices with schoolwide initiatives (e.g., schoolwide positive behavior support, Common Core State Standards), educators in particular may be more willing to address these skills in their settings. This article provides an example of these types of …

Hallways And High Schools: Changes In Adult Behavior To Decrease Disruption From Students In Non-Classroom Settings, Hank Bohanon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Decreasing classroom disruptions that result from hallway related behavior in high school settings can be very challenging for high school staff. This article describes a case example of preventing problem behavior related to hallway settings in a high school with over 1,200 students. The interventions are described and the results of the plan are included.

Teaching, Learning, And Leading: Preparing Teachers As Educational Policy Actors, Amy J. Heineke, Ann Marie Ryan, Charles Tocci

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Within the current federal, state, and local contexts of educational reform, teachers must be recognized as central actors in policy work, but rarely do we explicitly consider preparing teachers to become policy actors. Understanding these implications for teacher education, we investigate teacher candidates’ learning of the complexity and dynamism of educational policy through a field-based teacher preparation program. Situated across four unique school contexts in the diverse neighborhoods of Chicago, Illinois, we qualitatively study the cases of eight teacher candidates as they explore policy in practice. We found that candidates developed enduring understandings about policy as complex, situated, and multilayered, …

The Project Approach Meta-Project: Inquiry-Based Learning In Undergraduate Early Childhood Teacher Education, Adam S. Kennedy, Erin Horne, Kelcie Dolan, Cindy Herrera, Naomi Malutan, Kathleen Noetzel

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article describes a case study involving the planning, phases, and outcomes of an exploration of the Project Approach led by four teacher candidates as part of an undergraduate early childhood teacher preparation program. Four undergraduate junior-level teacher candidates investigated the phases of the Project Approach during their junior year; this work took place during a 26-week learning module comprised of a seminar and part-time student teaching placement in a preschool setting. The candidates aligned the stages of their investigation with the phases of the Project Approach, which provided a framework complementary to that of action research, within which the …

Visualizing Social Influences On Filipino American And Southeast Asian American College Choice, Kristen L. Surla, Oiyan Poon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study identifies and explores social influences on the college choice process of Filipino American and Southeast Asian American high school seniors in an urban Midwestern setting. In an effort to contribute more depth to the knowledge regarding college choice among Filipino Americans and Southeast Asian Americans, this study engaged seven high school seniors in a photo elicitation study, allowing the students to tell their own stories of their pathways to college. Photos and follow-up interviews indicated that the students explicitly acknowledged kinship and peer networks as playing the most influential roles in the college choice process. Gender differences were …

A Multiyear Investigation Of Combating Bullying In Middle School: Stakeholder Perspectives, David L. Shriberg, Mallory Burns, Poonam Desai, Stephanie Grunewald, Rachel Pitt

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Working collaboratively to address bullying among middle school students is an ongoing challenge. This study used participatory action research to collaborate with key stakeholders within a middle school to identify needs and implement more effective practices. Extensive qualitative and quantitative data are presented, along with process recommendations for bringing different stakeholders together for a sustained change effort.

Moving Towards Biliteracy: Varying Paths Of Bilingual Writers In Two-Way Immersion Programs, Elizabeth Howard, Sabina Neugebauer

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This study investigates the English and Spanish lower-order writing development of 185 bilingual students in two-way immersion (TWI) programs and explores the extent to which home language exposure may explain different writing trajectories in each language. Students were administered English and Spanish basic writing skills assessments once per year over four years, from second through fifth grade. Multi-level modeling revealed that students demonstrated significant growth in lower-order writing ability in both languages, but the rates of acceleration slowed over time. Moreover, increased use of a given language at home was significantly associated with higher writing ability in that language in …

Student Attitudes To An Online, Peer-Instruction, Revision Aid In Science Education, Barry Ryan, Aaron Mac Raighne, Morag Casey, Robert Howard

Articles

Peer instruction has been shown to have a positive effect on students’ engagement and learning. However, many of the techniques designed to incorporate peer instruction into the student experience are very heavy on resources. PeerWise is a free, low-maintenance, web-tool designed to allow peer instruction between students within a large class group. Students can write, answer and discuss Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) based on their work in-class.

In this study, we introduce PeerWise to a wide and varied cohort of science students (N=509) across different disciplines, undergraduate years, levels (certificate to honours degree) and institutes. The attitudes of the students …