Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Carmen Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, school systems must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction in general education classrooms. Implementing the inclusion model has been challenging for many school systems as the systems try to find ways to meet the needs of their diverse student populations. The purpose of this quantitative casual-comparative and correlational study is to identify high school teachers' perceptions of inclusion. One hundred seventy-three high school teachers from six school districts located in a southeastern metropolitan area completed a survey to allow the researcher to examine if a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of inclusion …

Success Despite Socioeconomics: A Case Study Of A High-Achieving, High-Poverty School, Thomas Brent Tilley, Samuel J. Smith, Russell L. Claxton

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Effective school leadership is becoming more difficult than ever with the challenges of increased accountability and high stakes testing that are components of federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. These challenges are more pronounced in schools with high rates of poverty. This was a case study of a high performing, high poverty school that has consistently been one of the highest performing elementary schools in the state. The purpose of the study was to describe the leadership that exists at the school, the culture of the school, and programs that contribute to the school’s success. The researcher conducted observations …

Academic Excellence In Action: A Case Study Of Effective Instructional Methodologies Of Middle Grades Math Teachers, Nancy Hutchison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to analyze highly effective math teachers in a middle school in Tennessee and describe the methodologies utilized in their middle grades classrooms. This case study was an instrumental single case study within a bounded system. Effective math teachers employ certain methodologies consistently in their classrooms that can be utilized by other teachers to help students achieve academic success. Tennessee's First to the Top Act (2010) requires using teacher effect data to comprise 35% of teachers' retention/dismissal evaluation scores and requires a concentrated focus on seventh grade mathematics instruction. Questionnaires, interviews with math teachers …

Self-Efficacy And Classroom Management: A Correlation Study Regarding The Factors That Influence Classroom Management, Stephanie Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Classroom management has proved to be a plaguing aspect of the teaching and learning process over the past century. This single skill has heavily contributed to teacher stress and burnout (Gordon, 2002;Jepson & Forrest, 2006), teacher turnover (Ritter & Hancock, 2007; Rosas & West, 2009), overall teacher self-efficacy (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Borgogni, & Steca, 2003; Edwards, Green, & Lyons, 2002), student achievement and teacher performance in the classroom (Edwards et al., 2002; Milner, 2002; Poulou, 2007), and is commonly a major concern of principals regarding new teachers (Principal Perspectives, 2004; Williams, 1976). The purpose of the study was to determine if …

The Parents As Teachers Program In Missouri And The Resulting Difference In Academic Effects For Fifth- And Sixth-Grade Students, Jill Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to No Child Left Behind legislation, state education officials are increasing programs and funding for early childhood interventions. Missouri's Parents as Teachers Program (PAT) is one such program that works to increase students' academic achievement in school and on standardized tests. This study explored one Missouri school district's academic achievement for current fifth- and sixth-grade students on the kindergarten entry screening, the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning Third Edition (DIAL-3), and the Missouri Assessment Program's (MAP) third and fourth grade Communication Arts test. The research employed a causal-comparative research design that matched 89 PAT participants with 89 …

A Phenomenological Study Of Motivations, Experiences And Reflections As Related To Teacher Training And Development In Tanzania, Melinda Ingiaimo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In third world countries where education often takes a back seat to survival, teachers struggle to prepare themselves to shape the destiny and future of the upcoming generation. This study examined the phenomena of Tanzanian teacher preparation with special emphasis on the motivating factors, common experiences and reflections of participants concerning their preparation process for teaching in a government funded school. This study inquired into the immediate teaching environment and the ongoing teacher development processes. Fifteen Tanzanian teachers were purposefully chosen for this study and data was gathered utilizing a semi-structured interview, a survey and a focus group. The teacher …

Effective Science Teaching In A High Poverty Middle School, Georgette Meyer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative case study described the characteristics of science teachers in a high poverty urban middle school whose 2010 scores on South Carolina's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) ranked second in the state. Data was obtained through classroom observations, open-ended interviews, school documents, and photographs taken inside the school from ten participants, who were seven science teachers, a science coach, and two administrators. Findings revealed a school culture that pursued warm and caring relationships with students while communicating high expectations for achievement, strong central leadership who communicated their vision and continuously checked for its implementation through informal conversations, frequent …

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning From Conventional Schooling To Home-Based Online Education, Harvey Klamm

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. …

Mentoring Programs: Key Differences In Support For Beginning Teachers, Virginia Fick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the issue of mentoring and its problems in aiding in the induction of new teachers into various school systems. Such a study is justified because teacher shortages remain a real threat in many areas of this country. The research sought to demonstrate that a mentor program without clear guidelines and accountability may actually damage new teachers. Some of the goals of a mentoring program were considered: the suitability and selection of mentors, the training of mentors, and program evaluation. A review of the literature included such topics as the high cost of attrition, the needs of new …

The Effectiveness Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Programs In Georgia Middle Schools, Kristy Rutland Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipline issues and inappropriate student behavior in the classroom are issues that administrators and teachers throughout the country deal with on a daily basis and often lead to a loss of instructional time. This causal comparative study examined school-wide discipline programs and compared the behavior of students in schools using school-wide positive behavior management systems to the behavior of students in schools that do not implement school-wide programs based on the numbers of office referrals at each level of behavior. Three middle schools in one northwest county in Georgia were compared based on the presence of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions …

Relationships Between Educators' Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, And Administrators' Gender, Stephanie Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to examine the differences between teachers' mean job satisfaction scores based on the administrators' gender and examine the relationship between the administrators' gender and teachers' organizational commitment plans in Tennessee middle schools. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment was measured by the Tennessee Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Survey that was administered online and completed by Tennessee teachers voluntarily and anonymously. A stratified random selection of schools based on the administrator's gender (female, n = 85; male, n = 85) was selected (N = 170) from those achieving the predetermined response criteria …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Educational Technology Characteristics Of Ohio Schools And Their Blue Ribbon Status, Dean Goon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze data from Ohio schools and the frequency of use of educational technology, a teacher's comfort level using technology, and a teacher's beliefs about the effect of educational technology on teaching and learning based upon the school's Blue Ribbon award status. The study used an ex-post facto, quantitative comparative research design. The variables examined originated from an archival data set: the Ohio Biennial Educational Technology Assessment: 2011 (BETA 10-11). The research questions examined the differences between Blue Ribbon and Non-Blue Ribbon schools based on educational technology use, a teachers' comfort level with technology, …

The Relationship Between High School Teacher Perceived Principal Leadership Practices And Teacher Morale Levels, Nora Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the relationhip between five teacher perceived leadership practices of high school principals and the morale levels of the teachers in their schools. Two high schools (grades 10-12) in the upstate of South Carolina participated in the study. One hundred twelve high school teachers were surveyed using the Leadership Practices Inventory to collect information about five teacher perceived principal leadership practices, and the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire to collect information about teacher morale levels. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to measure the relationship between the five teacher perceived leadership practices and teacher morale levels. One of the …

The Relationship Between Principal Turnover And Student Achievement In Reading/English Language Arts And Math Grades Six Through Eight, Darren Berrong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between principal turnover rate, percentage of minority students, percentage of students with disabilities, and percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged and student achievement in reading/English language arts and math measured by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Eighty-six public middle schools (grades 6-8) comprised the sample for the study; all of these schools were located in Region 1 on the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) School Improvement Map. Data was collected from (AYP) reports publicly accessed on the Georgia Department of Education website. CRCT pass percentages were used …

Teachers' Perspectives And Suggestions For Improving Teacher Education To Facilitate Student Learning, Dina Linkenhoker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to give teachers a voice to express their self-efficacy beliefs, their opinions about the content and the effectiveness of their teacher preparation programs to facilitate student learning, and to hear their suggestions for improving teacher education to enable future educators to achieve that goal. The advent of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2002, referred to as No Child Left Behind, has reframed the debate on teacher quality. Across the board, from scholars to government officials to private foundations, there is a call for reform of schools of …

Comparison Of The Effects Block And Traditional Schedules Have On The Number Of Students Who Are Proficient On The Biology End-Of-Course Test In Forty Public High Schools In The State Of North Carolina, Tonia Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between the number of overall students, African-American students, and students with disabilities on a semester 4 x 4 block schedule who were proficient on the North Carolina Biology End-of-Course Test and the number of the same group of students on a traditional 45-50 minute yearlong schedule who were proficient on the NC Biology End-of-Course Test in the state of North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. A causal-comparative design was used and three null hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis. Archival data was used. The results showed that there was a significant association between the …

A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of New Secondary School Assistant Principals, David Stanton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study followed five secondary school assistant principals during the 2010-2011 school year. The participants range in age from their early 30s to early 50s, three of the participants serving as assistant principals in high schools; and two as assistant principals in middle schools. All five participants work in two school districts in Oakland County, Michigan, a suburban county northwest of Detroit and were promoted to administrative work within the past three years. The participants provided monthly calendars and journals along with discipline reports to demonstrate through their schedules, duties, and, most importantly, their own words, the experiences of …

Florida Charter Schools: The Effects Of Types And Socioeconomic Status On Academic Achievement, Reginald Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was established in 2002 with the primary goal of closing the achievement gap between low socioeconomic students and their more advantaged peers. Charter schools are a part of NCLB's school choice policy and are intended to be a form of intervention to close the achievement gap. Much research has been conducted to measure charter school student achievement compared to regular public schools. But little has been done in distinguishing the differences between charter schools and their impact on student achievement. This quantitative study identifies the different types of public charter schools in Florida using Carpenter's …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher And Administrator Experiences In The Analysis And Interpretation Of Student Assessment Data, Matthew Ross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative empirical phenomenological study was to examine the experience of analyzing and interpreting student assessment data from the perspective of both teachers and administrators in order to identify: (a) those aspects of the experiences which are similar or dissimilar among the two groups, (b) the priorities and influences which affect those experiences, and (c) the most critical issues expressed by the participants. Ten teachers and five administrators participated in three in-depth individual interviews, online reflective journaling, and follow-on focus group interviews. This study revealed that the experiences of teachers and administrators can be characterized and described …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Characteristics Of A High School That Influence Former Senior Year Dropouts To Graduate With A Regular Diploma, Rebecca Royal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the characteristics of a high school environment that former senior year dropouts were looking for when they returned to school to attain their diploma. A phenomenological qualitative design was used to identify the reasons seniors dropped out of school, the factors that influenced them to return, the characteristics of the high school environment they deemed most desirable, and the differences between the perceptions of African American and Caucasian students in their responses. Eight former senior year dropouts from one South Georgia school district participated in two individual student interviews and one focus group interview to determine these …

The Relationship Of School Uniforms To Student Attendance, Achievement, And Discipline, Russell Edward Sowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative study examined the relationship of school uniforms to attendance, academic achievement, and discipline referral rates, using data collected from two high schools in rural southwest Georgia county school systems, one with a uniforms program and one without a uniforms program. After accounting for race and students with disabilities status, School A (with uniforms) had significantly better attendance and somewhat fewer minor behavior infractions, but trended lower in standardized math scores and more intermediate and major behavioral infractions than School B (without uniforms). These findings failed to demonstrate an unambiguous advantage of school uniforms, consistent with the mixed results …

Case Studies: Developing Decision-Making Skills In Diverse Simulated Environments, Samuel J. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Traditional print case studies have been a long-standing instructional strategy for educational leadership preparation programs. With the advent of interactive online environments, the possibilities for simulations have increased exponentially—opening the way for data-rich, complex cases that the instructor can easily situate in diverse settings. One program offering such a problem-solving experience is Educational Theory into Practice Software (ETIPS). ETIPS is a federally funded program developed by professors of educational administration as a tool to teach data-based decision-making skills. Available for both pre-service and in-service use, ETIPS provides 10 problems that can each be situated in nine schools. The options for …

Students' Learning Style Preferences And Teachers' Instructional Strategies: Correlations Between Matched Styles And Academic Achievement, Mary L. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the current study was to identify the extent to which learning styles influence the educational process as well as the outcome of students, particularly elementary-age students, in terms of academic achievement. This study examined the potential relationship between the degree of match (as determined by comparing learning style preferences of students with instructional strategies of teachers) and the academic achievement of fourth grade students as shown by Palmetto Assessment of State Standards scores in four academic content areas, namely English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The researcher collected data from a sample of approximately 200 …

Credit For The Political Theater, Mike Cobb

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Research Study On The Use Of School Uniforms And Graduation, Attendance, And Suspension Rates In East Tennessee, William Elihue Gouge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Graduation rates in Tennessee are 8 points below the state goal of 90%. Implementation of a school uniform policy may be a way to improve these rates by giving students increased school structure. The purpose of this quantitative, causal comparative study was to examine whether a significant difference exists in graduation, attendance, and suspension rates between a school that has a school uniform policy and a school that does not. Two public high schools in East Tennessee, one with and one without a school uniform policy, with similar demographics were compared. A second comparison was made after the implementation of …

Is It All Just So Much Hot Air?, Mike Cobb

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Principals' Instructional Leadership Behaviors And Beliefs Of Good Pedagogical Practice Among Effective California High Schools Serving Socioeconomically Disadvantaged And English Language Learners, Jamon Frederick Peariso

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed methods descriptive and causal-comparative study investigates what instructional leadership behaviors effective California high school principals have and what their beliefs are in regards to pedagogy, related issues, and professional issues, either constructivist or instructivist in nature, in the environment of the current NCLB accountability era. Differences found in eight specific demographic variables were analyzed in combination with data obtained from principals' responses on the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) and the Principal Beliefs Survey (PBS, a variation of the Teacher Beliefs Survey).

The population comprised of principals whose schools have met their API growth targets for two …

Letter To The Editor: News & Advance, Mike Cobb

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Susan Miller Dorsey (1857-1946): Trailblazer For Women School Superintendents, Joseph Steven Strickland, Samuel J. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Though women are increasingly breaking the glass ceiling into the position of school superintendent, the profession continues to be predominately occupied by men. More historical biographs of successful female superintendents may encourage women to pursue the role. To that end, this study examined the impact of a progressive-era trailblazer for women in educational leadership, Susan Miller Dorsey, superintendent of Los Angeles City Schools from 1920 to 1929. Two critical questions were addressed: What factors influenced Dorsey? Can her experiences in administration reveal any critical influences for present-day female teachers who pursue administrative positions?

Preservice Second-Career Teachers In A Blended Online-Residential Preparation Program: Profiling Characteristics And Motivations (Tej), Samuel J. Smith, John J. Pantana

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examines preservice second-career teachers (SCTs), their motivations for switching careers, and their perceptions of the profession. Participants were graduate students in a blended online-residential Master of Arts in Teaching program (n=311). Profiles, characteristics, motivations, and perceptions were explored using the FIT-Choice (Factors Influencing Teaching Choice) Scale and focus groups.