Education Commons^™

English Learner Course Scheduling: Practice, Implications, And Aspirations, Aziza Simmons

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Educating English learners (ELs) is a complex, multifaceted job that takes into account numerous constructs, some tangible and others not. For this endeavor to work optimally, all parties need to work closely and rely on each other with the end result in mind: offering a quality and equitable education to ELs that addresses their academic and language needs and propels them to reach their full potential (Baecher, 2014; Dirocco, 1998). One influential factor is course scheduling for content and career areas (Minaya-Rowe, 2015). Using qualitative case study methodology, this dissertation investigates the current process for scheduling ELs through in-depth semi-structured …

On-Site, Ongoing, And Individualized Professional Development: A Case Study At Rural Charter School, Ashley Funderburke

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The current model of mass professional development for all teachers does not address the individual needs of each teacher (Berckenmeyer, 2014; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; DeMonte, 2013). This case study research focused on reaching a deeper understanding of an on-site, ongoing, individualized professional development innovation implemented at Rural Charter School for eight primary teachers as they began to apply a new instructional model; the integration of English-Language Arts standards into the science, social studies, and mathematics. My role within the study fluctuated between that of the researcher, an informant, and a teacher leader in delivering the personalized professional development.

Two …

Sustaining Change Through Individualized Coaching, Jody Worth

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study reveals educators’ journey through a change process as an innovation was being infused throughout their instructional practices. Traditional professional learning is not fashioned to address the ongoing concerns teachers have and the structure to sustain change. There is evidence to suggest that teachers are resistance to change due to the lack of attention placed on individualized change. This research investigates the topics of organizational change, individual change, evolution of professional development, teacher resistance, and individual coaching to lead to a deep understanding of the structural components of teacher support in order for change to transpire. This research is …

The Outcomes Of Offering A Working Lunch Session In Improving Adolescent Students’ Assignment Completion Rate And Academic Achievement In Mathematics, Kristian Edgeman

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

A decline in academic motivation, organizational skills, and the desire to learn in adolescent students cause middle grade teachers to constantly look for ways of encouraging students to complete assignments on time and achieve academic growth. Tactics such as positive reinforcement and punishments are frequently offered to adolescent students with the purpose of encouraging academic motivation. The inclusion of zeros in the grade book, although a hodgepodge grading practice, is often used as a tool to boost student motivation in prompt assignment completion; however, there is a lack of research to support this. The current study was designed to analyze …

Teacher Practices To Help Alternative Education Students, Angela Daws

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The problem addressed by this study is that alternative schools have a high recidivism rate, due in part to a difficult transition for students back to their traditional, zoned school. The purpose of this study was to identify practices of experienced alternative school teachers perceived as helping students transition from the alternative school setting to the traditional school setting, as well as challenges teachers face. To identify these practices (and challenges), data were collected from 5 teachers at a disciplinary alternative school by surveys, interviews, and observations. Three research questions guided this study:

1. How do experienced alternative high school teachers …

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Zero Tolerance, Zero Justice: Teacher Perceptions Of Using Restorative Justice, Ajayi Monell

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

While many schools are spending millions on instructional programming, new technology, and colorful chart paper for data walls, an area that often takes a back seat to improving achievement is the social and emotional learning of students (SEL). Until the education community starts focusing on the well-being of our students, closing the achievement gap will continue to be a nice catch phrase and not a reality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of K-8 teachers to determine how they felt about the use of Restorative Justice, with a focus on Peace Circles. This study explored this …

Pedagogical Examination Of Alternative Keys With Sel-Strategies (P. E. A. K. S.): An Examination Of Social Emotional Learning Pedagogy, Rezenia Wilson

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Twenty-first century schools are increasingly recognizing the need to nurture students’ social and emotional skills (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning-CASEL, 2015). There is a developing base of evidence that well-orchestrated, systematically-implemented social and emotional pedagogy can positively affect a wide range of social, emotional, and academic achievement levels (Bar-On, 2006; Bridgeland, Bruce, & Hariharan, 2013; CASEL, 2012; Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Elias et al., 1997; Goleman, 1995; Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, & Sitarenious, 2001; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004). Empirical research studies have also shown that systematic, ongoing pedagogical practices to further these initiatives …

Cognitively Guided Instruction In Elementary Mathematics: Understanding Factors That Influence Classroom Implementation, Teresa A. Conowal

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study focused on the teaching technique known as cognitively guided instruction (CGI), through which teachers explore the individual learning styles of their students and use the information they gather to teach more complex concepts more effectively. The focus of this study was on 10 elementary mathematics teachers, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the reasons they are making limited use of CGI techniques in their classrooms. The study used interviews and classroom observations of the 10 participants to identify the factors influencing their willingness or reluctance to apply CGI techniques to their instructional practices. The study …

Mathematics Academic Achievement Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Sarah Kinney Maddox

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The aim of this secondary data analysis study was to examine the association between certain predictors and student’s mathematics achievement on two tests of the Woodcock Johnson III Academic Knowledge subtests: Applied Problems and Calculations. Results indicated that students with a diagnosis of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) had academic deficits in mathematics, and these deficits became larger over time. Data pertaining to mathematics academic achievement from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (N = 420) were examined. The variables investigated to further explore academic achievement scores were gender, race/ethnicity, student’s school attended prior …

Exploring The Interpersonal Dynamics Of The Supervisory Triad Of Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis, Anna E. Hart

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Clinical field experience is recognized by many as the most influential and beneficial component of pre-service teacher education (Borko & Mayfield, 1995). At the core of this experience is the supervisory triad, consisting of the pre-service teacher, mentor teacher, and university supervisor. Utilizing positioning theory as its theoretical framework, this qualitative meta-synthesis synthesized eleven pieces of empirical research focused on the interpersonal dynamics of the supervisory triad. The findings of this study reveal three primary factors of influence, four primary patterns of communication, and many modes of positioning of self and others as influential to pre-service teachers’ clinical experiences. The …