Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Lived Experiences Of African American Women Enrolled In Or Graduated From A Doctoral Program And Have Experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces): A Phenomenological Study, Alicia Williams

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this heuristic phenomenological study is to describe and understand the lived experiences of African American women who are enrolled in or graduated from a doctoral program and have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in regards to the supports received and barriers experienced in their life journey toward enrolling in a doctoral program. Methodology: The methodology used for this study was a heuristic phenomenological approach which explored the factors of supports received and barriers experienced during the childhood of African American women who experienced ACEs and still pursued a doctorate degree. The study revealed the commonalities among …

Clarifying Coaching: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of A Math Content-Focused Model And Its Impact On Teachers' Practice, Content Knowledge, And Dispositions, Lauren A. Solarski

Dissertations

Coaching is increasingly becoming required or recommended as a form of teacher professional development, but the education field has only begun to define the practice and understand its features, especially in regard to its potential to improve math teaching in early childhood contexts. Using mixed methods and a Whole Teacher Approach theoretical framework, this study examined a math content-focused coaching model and its impact on teachers' math content knowledge, teaching practice, and dispositions including attitudes, beliefs, and confidence. Participants included 141 lead and assistant teachers and 5 coaches working in 27 Head Start centers in Chicago. Teachers at centers randomly …

Providing Head Start Services Amid A Global Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Study Of Capacity, Resources, And Support, Kelly L. Vigants

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered education in dramatic ways including immediate building closures and the implementation of virtual instruction. In March of 2020, Michigan faced a statewide shutdown on all non-essential travel as Michiganders were ordered to “Stay Home. Stay Safe.” Head Start began to provide remote services to families and students. Head Start lead teachers were charged with using virtual methods to teach their students. With little direction in the beginning and many unknowns, Head Start lead teachers used innovative methods to promote family engagement.

This study used a mixed method, explanatory sequential design to evaluate the most effective methods …

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 Effect Of The Missouri Preschool Program On School Readiness, Madeline June Allin

Dissertations

National policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have consistently questioned how to develop the necessary skills for the nation’s youth to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The answer points directly to the provision of highquality early childhood programs to prepare children for entrance to kindergarten and put them on a trajectory toward lifelong positive outcomes (Ferrarello, 2017; Phillips et al., 2017). The Missouri Preschool Program is a high-quality, state grant-funded program, with grant priority given to schools serving a large number of disadvantaged children (MODESE, 2018a). The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to compare the school readiness skills …

Relationships Between Kindergarten Entrance Age And Attendance Rates In Kindergarten Through Second Grade, Julie A. Mcdonald

Dissertations

Education research over the last 50 years has found a significant relationship between academic achievement and kindergarten entrance age, with kindergarten students who enter school at the earliest ages tending to have lower academic achievement than their counterparts. Other studies have found that student achievement depends on factors such as class attendance rates and socioeconomic factors. Indeed, one issue consistently identified in education research as having a strong correlation to student achievement is student attendance, which makes intuitive sense because students must be present and engaged in school to learn. National research confirms that not only do attendance rates negatively …

The Primary Dilemma: Determining And Overcoming Barriers To A Focus On Prekindergarten Through Grade 3, Sarah Turner Lukas, Sarah Turner Lukas

Dissertations

In 2017, reporters of national data in regard to reading ability among American, fourth grade students indicated low proficiency and achievement gaps. These results were also consistent within the state and district under study. There is a need to increase the focus on prekindergarten and primary grade education taking place prior to the grades in which federally mandated, accountability assessments for student learning take place. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential barriers to a paradigm shift at the state and district levels from a focus on state-assessed grade levels to prekindergarten and primary grade levels. The …

The Effectiveness Of The Implementation Of Social And Emotional Learning Programs Program Evaluation, Cynthia Treadwell

Dissertations

Students today are faced with more challenges due to the nature of the society in which they are growing up. Children are experiencing more depression, anxiety, fear, and hopelessness—which impacts their ability to be successful academically. Social and emotional learning programs have proven to positively provide students with the necessary social and emotional skills. This study found that implementation of programming can have a direct impact on students’ social and emotional skills, as well as their academic success, when it is effectively implemented and adults have a strong awareness of their own social and emotional competency level. This must be …

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 …

An Exploration Of Preschool Choice With Low-Income Families: The Critical Role Of Positive Attitudes, Behavioral Norms And Control Beliefs, Laurel E. Schmitt

Dissertations

Since the 1960s preschool has been seen as a potential equalizer for children of poverty as they enter kindergarten and long term studies of state and federal preschools have documented positive impacts, especially for low-income students. What has yet to be deeply explored is guardians’ decision-making processes to explain the lack of enrollment even when the stated barriers are eliminated (Obi, 2011; Payne, 1994; Swartz, 1996).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and interpret, through a phenomenological lens, how low income parents and guardians made decisions to enroll their child or dependent in a preschool program. I …

Parent And Guardian Perspectives Regarding Attendance: Evidence From A Governmental Early Childhood Education And Care Program, Rita L. Cruz Santelises

Dissertations

In 2013, the Dominican government began the implementation of a national plan called Quisqueya Empieza Contigo (QEC) (Exec. Order No. 102, 2013), aimed to fulfill the needs of children zero to five years old holistically. The National Institute of Comprehensive Care (INAIPI, acronym in Spanish) carries two of the most ambitious programs embedded in this national plan. Early Childhood is the governmental institution authorized to carry out this recent intervention. The intervention has increased coverage of early childhood services through two programs: Programmed Comprehensive Family Care centered on the community (Centro de Atención Familiar e Infancia, [CAFI]) and the Comprehensive …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Reading Wonders: Is It Really A Wonder? A Program Evaluation, Myra A. Richardson

Dissertations

Reading programs are essential tools for leaders to use while building literacy. The transfer from instructional delivery to student knowledge should be easily recognizable in the end-of-year assessment data. As the principal analyzing the end-of-year data, I discovered a problem when I struggled to see this transfer in my data. The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine whether teachers perceived Reading Wonders to be an effective reading program for the school district as well as whether the assessment data aligned with teachers’ perceptions. A survey was used to collect responses from the participants and an Excel spreadsheet was …

Minority Students In Stem Careers In The U.S. – The Role Of Ap Calculus, Kendall Coleman

Dissertations

“The number of native-born S&E [science and engineering] graduates entering the workforce is likely to decline unless the nation intervenes to improve success in educating S&E students from all demographic groups, especially those that have been underrepresented in S&E careers” (National Science Board [NSB], 2003, p. 13). More than a decade ago, the National Science Board (NSB) sounded an alarm regarding the projected decline in native-born science and engineering graduates with the aim of driving strategic fundamental changes. There is limited evidence that the NSB’s prognostication is actively being addressed. Approximately 81% percent of all full-time graduate students in U.S. …

Social And Literacy Development Of School-Based Pre-Kindergarten Students, Stewart Smirthwaite

Dissertations

In order to meet the demands of college and career ready standards, students are expected to enter kindergarten knowing more than ever before. A need exists to examine data that provides evidence of desired social and literacy outcomes for students in kindergarten. In order to address the need for further study of school prekindergarten opportunities for young children, two different sets of data were collected, examined, and discussed. Literacy proficiency was measured by using data from the Mississippi K-3 Assessment Support System’s (MKAS²) Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). Social competence was measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, …

Equitable Access In Education: Access To Joy, Choice Options, And Strong Neighborhood Schools, Noah Hollenkamp, Albert J. Sanders Jr., Lindsay Schuessler

Dissertations

The purpose of this co-authored dissertation was to understand equitable access of quality educational opportunities in St. Louis, Missouri. Through the following research, we present a better understanding of equity and access in education from a classroom level, on a school level, and finally, on a regional level. This collection of research is the effort of a group of committed and concerned educators seeking to understand the ways of making quality education accessible for all families, specifically in the areas of school choice, quality neighborhood schools, and play in the classroom. By equitable access, we mean all families being able …

An Evaluation Of A Title One Elementary School's English For Speakers Of Other Languages Program, Kim L.P. Rigby

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Enrolled at many public schools in the United States are students who primarily speak languages other than English and lack proficiency in the English language. These students are required to show language proficiency on end-of-year English-only state assessments. One public elementary school utilizes a support program to assist second language learners in acquiring a level of language skills necessary for proficiency on state assessments. My evaluation of this school’s program utilized mixed methods to determine the viability of support services provided to second language learners. The findings of my evaluation revealed some weaknesses within the provided services and indicated …

Developing Social And Emotional Skills In Early Childhood Instruction: A Delphi Study, Tess Breen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore social and emotional learning in early childhood instruction with an emphasis on identifying the methods expert early childhood teachers use to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation, to have the teachers rate the impact of these methods, and to identify the specific activities used to implement the six most highly rated methods.

Methodology: This study utilized the Delphi method which is an iterative process used to collect and distill the judgments of experts using a series of questionnaires interspersed with feedback. Fourteen participants recommended strategies to …

Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports In Transitional Kindergarten Through Second Grade Classrooms: Year Three And Beyond, Anne Driscoll-Mink

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the effects of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through second grade before implementation and after implementation of PBIS at platinum level elementary schools.

Methodology: A mixed-methods study will be used to examine the effects of PBIS on students in TK through second grade before implementation and after implementation of PBIS at platinum level elementary schools in southern California. The quantitative method was used to gather archival data on pre PBIS implementation and post PBIS implementation to determine if there was a difference in …

Self-Efficacy Of Early Childhood Teachers In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Ariella Rachel Donnelley Smith

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the self-efficacy of early childhood teachers toward STEM subjects as measured on the Teacher Efficacy and Attitudes toward STEM Survey (T-STEM) and to explore factors that influence this confidence.

Methodology. A quantitative approach with two open-ended items was selected for this study, seeking to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data from participants. This approach allowed for multiple viewpoints to be expressed, with the qualitative data collected simultaneously with the quantitative data, and the former designed to illuminate reasons influencing the latter in a complimentary approach. The population for the study included …

Toward An Emerging Theory Of Leadership Competencies For Early Care And Education Systems Leaders, Julianne Zvalo-Martyn

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the competencies that early care and education systems leaders should possess as perceived by a panel of early childhood systems leadership experts. This study also identified which leadership competencies experts perceive will have the most impact on transformation of the field into an organized system of practice.

Methodology: This study used a mixed-methods Delphi approach consisting of three electronic surveys to identify competencies needed by early care and education systems leaders as perceived by a panel of national experts. Round 1 consisted of open-ended questions. Round 2 asked the panelists …

The Role Of Popular Culture In Preschool Children’S Emergent Writing/Composing: An Exploration Of The Writing Process And Tensions Surrounding One Preschool Writing Center, Stephanie Winters

Dissertations

Over the last several decades research has been conducted surrounding popular culture and children’s writing/composing. Much of this research focused on children in early elementary school classrooms. I discovered, when preparing for this project, that there was very little published research (written in English) surrounding preschool-aged children’s compositions (with or without the emphasis on popular culture), and what happens in the writing center. This study helps fill the gap in the research by documenting how preschool children in a mixed-age (ages three to five years) classroom, who attend a public school in an urban, Midwestern area, write/compose when given the …

An Examination Of California Home-Based Early Childhood Educators’ Self-Determination To Attain A Higher Education Degree, Shirley Collins

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine, identify, and describe the perceived impact of the self-determination attributes of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on the persistence and retention of California licensed home-based early childhood educators who attended higher education degree programs.

Methodology: This study utilized a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods approach to gain an understanding of the impact of self-determination on California licensed home-based early childhood educators’ persistence and retention in college. Three hundred members of the San Diego County Family Child Care Association and/or the California Family Child Care Network were invited to participate in this …

Application Of Response-To-Intervention In A Pre-Kindergarten Special Education Classroom, Justin J. Daigle

Dissertations

Lovaas (1987) applied behavior analysis to the treatment of autism and demonstrated a 47% “recovery” rate. He also reported that around 10% of the population that received his services made little-to-no improvement. The present study used a response-to-intervention framework to systematically identify and treat students in an early childhood, special-education classroom who were in danger of falling within that 10%. This study set out to identify, classify, and differentiate the treatment based on the student’s response to the standard classroom intervention. Improvements in multiple students’ rates of acquisition based on this system were recorded. This indicated a possibility of improved …

Linguistic Interactions Of Spanish Speaking Mexican American Families, Adelfio J. Garcia

Dissertations

This study explored the bilingual linguistic interactions in Mexican families and their impact on children’s language and literacy development. This qualitative study gathered data using different methods, namely, interviews, direct observations, participant observation, and physical artifacts to examine parents’ perceptions of their own educational path in comparison to their children’s educational path in an American school system, together with their daily linguistic interactions in various social contexts, and the features, themes and roles of linguistic interactions participants. Study results assisted in gaining deeper understanding of daily conversations happening in different social contexts and their impact on the language and literacy …

Identifying And Addressing The Educational Needs Of Primary Elementary Latino Males, Sandra Vilas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand and describe the strategies and practices that exemplary teachers use to address the educational needs of Latino male students from kindergarten through third grade.

Methodology: The researcher selected a qualitative research design to describe and understand the instructional strategies and practices used by district Teachers of the Year from 2011 - 2016 in three counties in Southern California. Through in-depth semi-structured open-ended interviews, the researcher provided a detailed examination of the instructional practices and strategies exemplary primary teachers use to address the educational needs of primary Latino males. The district …

Gender Beliefs Of Teachers In Orthodox Jewish Early Childhood Programs, Ilana Chai Dvorin Friedman

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to explore gender beliefs of teachers in Orthodox Jewish coeducational early childhood programs and give voice to their experiences and viewpoints. Concurrently, a feminist poststructural and queer theory lens was utilized to uphold Gorsetman and Sztokman’s (2013) claim that Orthodox Jewish schooling is fraught with messages and discourses that inhibit “educating for the divine image” (p. 30). This study maintained the need to examine gender consciousness within Orthodox Jewish schooling to promote inclusion and equality.

As young children actively engage in gender construction, teachers play a vital role reinforcing and/or challenging norms and available …

Kindergarten For Equity: A Policy Advocacy Statement, Amy Houlihan

Dissertations

The urgency to close the achievement gap means it is our moral imperative to provide all children with the opportunities necessary to succeed as early as possible. Knowing the critical timing of a child’s brain development from birth to age five, we cannot afford to wait until a child is six or seven years old to begin developing their academic and social emotional capacity. This policy advocacy document supports a statewide mandate for children to attend kindergarten at age five throughout the state of Illinois. With little need for increased resources to accommodate the mandate, the social, moral and ethical …

Ensuring Student Success In Full-Day Kindergarten: Purposeful Professional Development And Professional Learning Communities, Amy Houlihan

Dissertations

The change leadership model, developed by Wagner et al. (2008), was utilized to assess the context, culture, conditions and competencies of a large suburban school district during the early stages of districtwide implementation of full-day kindergarten. With overwhelming support from families, teachers and administrators, the change plan revolves around ongoing and purposeful professional development for staff building upon systematic work of Professional Learning Communities in order to provide a high quality full-day kindergarten program across twenty-three kindergarten program sites. When districts and schools focus on purposeful professional development and enhanced practice of Professional Learning Communities programs can work to provide …

An Evaluation Of Full-Day Kindergarten Programming, Amy Houlihan

Dissertations

The purpose of this program evaluation document is to provide a rationale and structure for implementing full-day kindergarten. The persistence of the achievement gap in the United States requires considerable and deliberate action to narrow and eliminate the gap over time. With the evolving educational landscape and the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, early education, including systematically designed and implemented full-day kindergarten are one way to afford children the opportunity to begin their education on pace to succeed. This program evaluation examines the differences between half-day kindergarten and full-day kindergarten programs including data analysis from the first year …

Re-Reading, Re-Writing, And Re-Imagining Texts: Critical Literacy In A Kindergarten Classroom, Meredith Labadie

Dissertations

This qualitative action research study focuses on the integration of critical literacy practices in a kindergarten classroom. Critical literacy recognizes that no texts are neutral, and that authors position their readers in particular ways. Thus critical literacy practices are those concerned with positioning readers to inquire into issues of language and power, and to disrupt, critique, and challenge texts. In this study, critical literacy was brought to life through a curriculum of rereading and revisiting texts over time. The study took place in the researcher’s kindergarten classroom, and follows students’ discussion, written responses, and dramatizations around texts read aloud in …