Education Commons^™

Identifying Successful Strategies Within An Extrinsic Reward System To Improve Behavior In The Alternative School Setting, Christian Burner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify strategies that are successful within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system to improve alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting. A second purpose was to rate the effectiveness of the identified strategies for improving alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of 3 rounds, to collect data from alternative schoolteachers who are experts in implementing strategies within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system. In Round 1, participants were asked to identify strategies to improve student behavior in the alternative school …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By High School Principals, Darrick Rice

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the perceived impact of Patterson’s (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs on high school principals in establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of high school principals who lead schools that have implemented Patterson's (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs for establishing a culture of high performance in Los Angeles County, California. The researcher was a part of 8 peer researchers and 2 faculty advisors. The data collection included virtual face-to-face semi structured interviews using a protocol developed by the thematic team. …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Their Participation In Technology-Based Professional Development Training In Mississippi’S High School Districts, Natalie N. Hill

Dissertations

The use of technology has become an essential part of daily interaction in Career and Technical education learning environments. There is very little research regarding career and technical teachers’ attitudes and participation in professional development, although previous studies have been conducted referencing K-12 teachers’ attitudes. A qualitative research methodology was employed to investigated the insight of CTE teachers’ attitudes toward the professional developments that they had attended. This study also investigated whether training was appropriate to teachers’ learning needs in high school districts in MS. The population for this study included seven high school career and technical teachers in five …

A Program Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Fundations And Reading Strategies Professional Development, Cecile Amy Farino

Dissertations

This program evaluation focused on a research-based reading intervention program implemented in a public school district. It also considered the professional development provided in reading strategies and the use of the program to increase students’ reading achievement levels. A problem I identified with using a reading intervention program was it did not identify student deficiencies, and educators lacked the knowledge of basic reading foundational skills to help identify students’ deficiencies. In my research, I examined one elementary school and the administrative team members’ implementation of the reading intervention program. The literature I presented focused on two phases of reading: the …

Impact Of Tier 2 Intervention Program On Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy, Barbara L. Georges

Dissertations

To address the challenges of drop-out rate and achievement gap, high schools have begun to implement intervention programs. Schools bear responsibility in addressing factors such as poor academic performance, lack of course credit, and low motivation to encourage post-secondary success. Intervention programs show promise in mitigating these factors despite variation due to lack of state or federal requirements. The most common frameworks used to address the skill gaps and deficiencies that prevent graduation are Response to Intervention (RtI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of academic interventions on student achievement …

Middle School Algebra As A College And Career Readiness Indicator, Carrie M. Renfroe

Dissertations

A goal of historic and current educational policy in American public schools has been to increase middle school student completion of Algebra I. The purpose of this study was to investigate equitable strategies for mathematics acceleration of diverse populations of middle school students. The context of this inquiry was a mid-sized school district that offers accelerated mathematics pathways to select middle school students throughout the district. My study demonstrated outcomes that align with current college and career readiness literature and support school-wide implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) system.

The Relationship Among Children Born With A Congenital Heart Defect, Effects Of General Anesthesia, And Special Academic Needs, Lorilynn Bowie

Dissertations

Abstract

I initiated this study due to experience in the public education system in one state in the United States. I noted a lack of understanding among educators on how to meet the educational needs of children born with a congenital heart defect (CHD) who had undergone general anesthesia related to their CHD. A lack of communication between the medical sector and the educational world led to extensive delays in children receiving the educational support they needed to be successful academically. There were two primary exploratory questions that drove my study: 1.) Is there a relationship between children born with …

The Relationship Between The Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development Program On The Effectiveness Of Teaching Literacy Strategies In High School Biology Classes, Tia Pridgen Brown

Dissertations

The need for effective content area reading teachers have continued to increase since the introduction of one public school districts’ Content Area Reading Professional Development (CAR-PD) in 2006. In 2011, modifications were made to improve the program, and it became known as the Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development (NGCAR-PD). The purpose of this program evaluation is to investigate the relationship between NGCAR-PD certified Biology teachers and their ability to implement reading strategies with science content effectively. The context of this inquiry is a mid-sized public school district that has implemented the program since 2006 at the middle and …

The Evaluation Of The Jostens Renaissance Incentive Program And The Impact It Has On Students At A Southwest Florida High School, Saneik Buchanan

Dissertations

As state requirements for academic achievement continue to become more rigorous, school administrators and counselors strive to create positive school environments. Therefore, administrators and counselors must find creative incentive programs tailored to meet the needs of respective school settings, such as the Jostens Renaissance incentive program. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Jostens Renaissance education incentive program at one Title I high school in Southwest Florida by studying the relationship among students’ GPAs, attendance, and disciplinary issues before participation in the program. The evaluation was a quantitative, quasi-experimental design that utilized pre-existing data of …

Exploring Relationships Of Positive Reading Attitudes In Secondary English Classrooms, Lorin Blackburn Thierfelder

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore teacher perceptions of secondary student reading attitudes across Missouri. The study was conducted to examine the variables of student engagement, Young Adult Literature, and reading attitude. A conceptual framework was established based upon the work of Layne (2009) and Schoenbach (2012). Secondary English teachers face the daunting task of teaching students not only reading comprehension but also reading engagement (Gallagher, 2009; Layne, 2009). Demographic information and survey responses were collected to determine teachers’ perspectives on student engagement, Young Adult Literature, and reading attitudes in high school English classrooms. Some of …

Student Perceptions Of School And Teachers In The Classroom, Sonji Jones-Manson

Dissertations

Much of the existing education research on student outcomes has focused on gaining a better understanding of student cognition and behavior, considering affect primarily as the role of a mediator or moderator to cognitive or behavioral outcomes. Student satisfaction with school is an affective outcome that is shaped by their relationships with their teachers. Though research on affect as an outcome has increased, it has not been well-understood and often ignored in models of understanding student outcomes. This qualitative study adds to the body of research on student affect as an outcome by collecting data from current high school students …

Competency-Based Education Through The Lens Of Personalized Learning In A Large Public High School, Marcus J. Belin

Dissertations

When students end the chapter of high school, the question education must ask is, “What does it take for a student to walk across the stage and receive their high school diploma?” Is it a transcript full of passing letters ranging from A–D or is it a known belief that students do not have gaps in their knowledge and can apply their knowledge in real-world situations? This study identifies the problem and the basis of research in the program evaluation. It also focuses on identifying a policy that best supports competency-based education (CBE). Lastly, the study …

Program Evaluation Of Behavior Plans And Rubrics: The Process And Impact On Student Growth, Tamariay Gordon

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In 2017, a behavior plan and rubric, introduced at an alternative behavioral school, hindered students’ transition back to their home school. Students remained at the alternative school because they failed to meet the skewed goals of the behavior plan and rubric. The gathering of qualitative and quantitative data from stakeholders casts a brighter light on the imperfection of the plan and rubric that students and parents failed to understand. A study of the behavior plan and rubric showed areas that created an environment that prevented students from being successful. The development of areas of change produced policy considerations to …

Interagency Collaboration In Local Partnership Agreements: A Qualitative Case Study Identifying And Describing The Perception Of Preparedness Of Transition Specialists Working In Workability I Projects, Barbara Boyd

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the preparedness of transition specialists working in WorkAbility I (WAI) projects as perceived by transition specialists using Kohler’s Taxonomy for Collaborative Transition Programming. In addition, its purpose is to explore the perceptions of transition specialists regarding interagency collaboration in local partnership agreements (LPAs).

Methodology: This qualitative case study identified and described WAI transition specialists’ perception of transition programming and interagency collaboration. It employed the use of semi-structured interview questions consisting of open-ended questions. Using this methodology promoted the extraction of high quality information from the transition specialists. …

Ged Participants’ Beliefs And Experiences Of Play As A Multi-Domain Approach To Increasing Adults’ Success In The State Of Mississippi, Latisha Taylor

Dissertations

Societal advancements have aided in the evolution of twenty-first-century adult learners. Learners no longer conform to traditional instruction; instead, instruction that adapts to the learner’s needs are necessary. Conventional learning that ensues multi-domain approaches to learning is on the rise. Play-based learning is one such approach that is multifaceted, and versatility in bridging gaps that exist between the learner and the curriculum. Play-based learning is a form of instruction that has the potential to encompass the whole learner by allowing opportunities for cognitive, affective, and psychomotor interactions throughout learning. However, for many, play-based learning is an instructional approach represented solely …

Discipline-Culture And Instructional Practices: An Integrated Leader's Role, Joe L. Griffin

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify the extent to which integrated leadership is present in schools, according to secondary teachers. Second, the study sought to measure the discipline-culture of schools. Discipline-culture is defined as the way discipline is administered daily in a school and how it contributes to the instructional practices that teacher’s use. Finally, integrated leadership, coined by Marks and Printy (2003), was examined relative to discipline-culture and instructional practices with this study. Leadership has been studied in multiple countries across various grade levels, but integrated leadership's influence on discipline-culture and instructional practices has not been researched. …

The Haves And The Have Nots: How Disparities In Social Capital Impact The Postsecondary Decision Processes Of Seniors At A Midwestern High School, Patricia M. Closson

Dissertations

High school is the time when final preparations are made prior to embarking on postsecondary opportunities—enrollment in two or four-year colleges/ universities or vocational training programs, enlistment in the military, or employment. These decisions become based on resources, information, and networks—forms of social capital. By conceptualizing within-school differences among the student population, the experiences of the haves and have nots are shared to highlight the impact of social capital disparities on the postsecondary decision-making process. Through qualitative research, the researcher analyzed data culled from interviews with both student and parent participants in a medium-sized Midwestern high school by examining postsecondary …

Emotional Intelligence: An Essential Ingredient For Principals To Successfully Implement The Big Picture Learning 10 Distinguishers, Amos Nugent Iii

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this mixed methods descriptive case study was to explore and describe the importance of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management EI characteristics as perceived by principals when implementing the 10 learning distinguishers of Big Picture Learning (BPL) schools’ conceptual framework in order to support the academic success of ninth- to 12th-grade students attending BPL alternative education schools in the Southwestern United States.

Methodology. This mixed methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the research questions regarding the importance of EI characteristics when supporting student academic success according to alternative education principals. The …

Student Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Purposive English In A Spanish As A Foreign Language Classroom, Kacey Booth

Dissertations

In modern American society, diversity is both challenged and celebrated, and inclusion is imperative. This ideology begins in the classroom. Oftentimes, this celebration of diversity, more specifically linguistic diversity, is most visible in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) classes and similar bilingual educational programs. In TESOL programs, students’ international identities are highlighted and students are often instructed using multilingual educational resources to scaffold their acquisition of English. Historically, foreign language teaching also utilized dual-language instructional methodologies. Such archaic teaching methodologies have since been replaced by more modern and immersive sociopsycholinguistic approaches such as Communicative Language Teaching. Such …

Understanding The School Experience Of Recent Lgbtq+ Graduates In The Dominican Republic’S Education System, Rossina Matos

Dissertations

Studies show that, in general, schools fall short when it comes to serving LGBTQ+ students, sometimes even ignoring the situations regarding bullying, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and heterosexism that arise. The detrimental effects of repressive, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, and other marginalizing school environments on LGBTQ+ students are well-documented in the research. However, the limited research available on the school experiences of LGBTQ+ students in Dominican K-12 schools suggests the country could benefit from examining the breadth and depth of the reality of LGBTQ+ students in its schools.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of …

Expert Teachers Practices To Aide In Student Achievement, Jt Cameron

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the activities expert mathematics teachers in comprehensive high schools that employ Professional Learning Communities and structured academic intervention use with respect to school culture, classroom culture, interventions, differentiated instruction, and first best instruction to make every student in their classroom more successful in mathematics at the end of their term regardless of where the student began.

Methodology: The researcher identified comprehensive public high schools within the state of California. Of this target population, purposeful sampling was applied to identify participants that were rich with information and that met …

The Effects Of An Experiential Learning Course On Secondary Student Achievement And Motivation In Geometry, Chanua Ross, Ted Gray

Dissertations

In 2012, the President’s Council on the Advancement of Science and Technology (PCAST) predicted one million jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) would go unfilled in the United States due to the lack of interested and qualified graduates matriculating in American universities, colleges, and technical schools (PCAST, 2012). In order to bolster interest and proficiency in STEM, research suggests instructional pedagogy incorporate experiential learning focused on solving real societal problems that are relevant to learners. Few studies have investigated the effects of such pedagogy within the context of a secondary-level, geometry course. A quantitative, quasi-experimental …

Political Strategies Used By Regional Occupational Program Superintendents To Work Effectively With The Different Political Styles Of Their Board Members: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Maura Murabito

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify the political styles of exemplary Regional Occupational Program superintendents and school board members as perceived by Regional Occupational Program superintendents. In addition, the purpose was to identify and explain the political strategies exemplary Regional Occupational Program superintendents use to work with the different political styles of school board members.

Methodology: In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study, both electronic surveys and face-to-face interview data were collected from five exemplary ROP superintendents and analyzed to identify the political strategies used to work successfully with their boards of education. …

The Perceptions Of High School Students In Northern California On Proactive Restorative Justice Elements, Chasity Raybuck-Bonilla

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the perceptions of high school students who attend school in one Northern California district who have implemented the proactive strategies of Restorative Justice Practices.

Methodology: This qualitative case study examined and described 18 high school students’ perceptions of Restorative Practice strategies used to develop and maintain trusting relationships on a high school campus. The researcher conducted 30 minute one on one interviews with each respondent that were picked using specific criteria.

Findings: Examination of qualitative data from the 18 students participating in this study indicated a variety …

The Impact Support Staff Has On School Climate At Comprehensive High Schools From The Perspective Of Principals, Melissa Bako

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe how high school principals perceive the actions of support staff impact school climate in the areas of safety, teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships, and the institutional environment in comprehensive public high schools in Riverside County, California.

Methodology: The researcher identified comprehensive public high schools within the state of California. Of this target population, purposeful sampling was applied to identify participants that were rich with information and that met specific criteria, and 12 principals were identified. The researcher collected and coded data from in-depth interviews; interview protocol directly …

High Stakes Testing And School Characteristics: A Comparative Study, Kelsey M. Dailey

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to better understand the relationship between the 2016 Grade 10 ISTEP+ English passing rate and 2018 graduation rate amongst 290 Indiana high schools and the following variables: school size, average SAT reading score, percentage of students passing advanced placement (AP) exams, percentage of special education students, percentage of free or reduced lunch students, percentage of English Language Learner students, and percentage of minority ethnic group students.. The results of the research may further evaluate how 2016 school characteristics are related to the Grade 10, 2016 ISTEP+ English which may suggest future …