Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Program Implementation And Upper Elementary Writing Achievement, Lisa` Weber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of fourth grade students write well below the basic level. In one elementary school, teachers implemented a new writing program for all students at the school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effects of this writing program A Language for Learning and Write from the Beginning-?¦and Beyond. Bruner's theory of constructivism formed the theoretical foundation of this study. The study included 172 students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. The research questions examined pre- and post-paragraph writing scores, extended writing scores, grammar and usage …

Bridge Program Participants' Satisfaction, Retention, Grade Point Average, And Credits Earned, Chip Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of first-generation college students enroll in college each year. However, according to national statistics, as many as 900,000 first-generation college students drop out each year. Colleges have developed summer bridge programs to help first-generation students succeed; participants have shown an increase in grade point average (GPA) and retention. There is limited research focusing specifically on private nonprofit university bridge programs, and national statistics show 34% of first-generation college students electing private universities. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate a private nonprofit university bridge program called the Pfeiffer Readiness Education Program. Using the …

Teachers' Narratives On Turnover In Focus County Schools, Deonne Beckwith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Focus County School District in the Mideast United States experienced a 12% teacher turnover rate over the last 2 years. The purpose of this study was to explore those factors that led to teachers leaving the district. Bandura's social cognitive theory was the guiding theory to examine and explain those factors that contributed to the district's teachers' attrition. Using narrative inquiry, the teachers' thick descriptions of their experiences were collected through the interview process. The data consisted of 9 personal interviews of teachers who left the district. .The data were analyzed and coded through the 6-part LaBovian model of abstract, …

Intermediate Teachers' Perceptions Of Reading Instruction Strategies And Professional Development Needs, Barbara Jean Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1 urban Tennessee school, students in Grades 3 through 5 had not met adequate yearly progress in reading for the past 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of current district-recommended teaching practice in reading. The research questions related to current instructional strategies, teaching practices, challenges, and perceptions of current instructional strategies and changes needed to improve students' reading achievement. This study was grounded in the constructivist theoretical framework of Vygotsky. Twelve educators from Grades 3 through 5 and a reading specialist participated in this study. The data were collected from interviews, minutes …

Faculty Roles In Student Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dorothy Langley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implications for student dropouts include fewer career options and lower earning potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of their roles in the student retention process at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast United States. Guiding the phenomenological study was Lewin's theory of change model. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and faculty-student intervention logs. The questionnaire was completed by 32 full-time faculty at the study site. Interviews with 5 participants were conducted after the completion of the questionnaire, and 5 participants provided information via a faculty-student intervention log about strategies …

Primary Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of Parental Involvement In School Activities, Darlisha Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have concluded that parental involvement is necessary for students' success in school because parent involvement in school activities can positively affect children's learning and school experiences. Parent presence and participation is lacking in an urban school district in western Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to investigate parents' participation in school activities, the current level of parental involvement, and teachers' perceptions related to ways to engage parents more effectively in participating in school-related activities. A conceptual framework of Epstein's model for parental involvement and Hoover-Dempsey's model of the parental involvement process guided this study. The research questions focused …

Ged Learners' Perceptions Of Support Systems For Encouraging High School Completion, Frances Lucille Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

All 7 high schools located in a school district in Alabama have experienced a high dropout rate since 2012. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the perceptions of recent high school dropouts about support systems that could have assisted them in completing the requirements to receive a high school diploma. Research questions centered on recent high school dropouts' views on what supports from home and from teachers they could have received to assist them in completing high school and what things they could have done differently to receive their high school diplomas. Bandura's theories of self-efficacy …

Academic Achievement In Schoolwide Title 1 Elementary Schools, Kelli K. Cronin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title I federal funds are provided to schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all students meet academic standards. Despite this and other efforts by the federal government to assist low-income families with the problems associated with poverty, the minimum proficiency levels required by the No Child Left Behind Act have not been met by all students. Little research has been conducted to assess performance of South Dakota schools receiving federal funding under Title 1 to alleviate these deficits in academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Title 1 had …

Retention Of Minority Students In A Bridge Program: Student Perceptions On Their Successes And Challenges, Chadwick Biermeier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an examination of the minority student retention rate in a year-long bridge program. The retention rate of these students is 25%. University administration was concerned about the retention rate and its impact on future enrollment. Using Jack Mezirow's transformative learning as a framework of understanding, the purpose of this study was to identify successes and challenges that minority students experienced in the bridge program and how those experiences affected future decisions on retention. A qualitative case-study design was implemented and 9 of the 140 bridge students were purposefully selected for individual interviews. Data analysis was conducted using …

Faculty Perspectives On Effective Integration Of Simulation Into A Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum, Linda Jane Howell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that use of high fidelity simulation (HFS) as a teaching strategy requires extensive amounts of faculty time and financial resources for faculty development and equipment. This project study addressed the challenges encountered in the integration of HFS into a Midwestern metropolitan baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of nursing faculty about best practice elements for successful integration of HFS into undergraduate nursing programs. Guiding questions were developed using Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model and focused on faculty perceptions related to successful implementation of simulation in their programs. Purposeful sampling was used to …

The Effects Of Structured Health Policy Education On Connecticut Registered Nurses' Clinical Documentation, Rosale Lobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Registered Nurses use clinical documentation to describe care planning processes, measure quality outcomes, support reimbursement, and defend litigation. The Connecticut Department of Health, guided by federal Conditions of Participation, defines state-level healthcare policy to include required care planning processes. Nurses are educated in care planning process standards, however no policy-required competency verification processes in academia or employers exists. Guided by the advocacy coalition framework, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if the quality of nurse coalition actors’ clinical documentation, a relatively stable parameter, would increase after attending policy-centered structured education. Data were extracted from 272 electronic medical …

Impact Of A Tier 2 Intervention On Freshman Students With Math Disabilities, Rena Johnette Whitten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Math achievement for U.S. high school students identified with math disabilities continues to fall below expected norms. Longitudinal national and state-level assessment data showed a flat or negative trend in math performance of students with disabilities, which may negatively affect their postsecondary outcomes. The purpose of this embedded mixed-methods study was to determine the impact of an extended time algebra course on increasing the math performance of freshman students with math disabilities. The conceptual framework included Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and zone of proximal development, Bloom's theory of master learning, and Carroll's theory of degree of learning. Data collection included archived …

Special Education Teachers' Voices On Co-Planning In A Suburban School District, Corinne Jeffers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited co-planning between special education and general education co-teaching partners has been documented in professional literature as a significant problem. Special education teachers do not adequately co-plan for the implementation of accommodations for students with disabilities educated in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze the perceptions of special education teachers in one suburban elementary school district in the United States regarding co-planning with regular education teachers. The theory of self-efficacy was utilized as the conceptual framework to understand how teachers' beliefs and experiences influenced planning and goal setting for special education students. …

The Effectiveness Of Course-Based Health Education Interventions Towards Increased Physical Activity Among College Students, Jay Morris Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the many health benefits, physical activity participation among those between 18 to 24 years is in significant decline during the college-age years. Postsecondary education has been identified as an ideal environment where young adults should be targeted for physical activity participation. However, a limited number of studies have assessed the effectiveness of college-level health education and physical education program interventions to increase physical activity levels among college students. The purpose of this study was to examine current physical activity levels of college age students who have completed a college-level health education course and laboratory to gain a better understanding …

New Graduate Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Delay To Professional Practice, Ruth Ann Obregon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of knowledge and skills lost by new graduate RNs while delayed in transitioning to professional nursing practice. There is a paucity of knowledge about how new RNs experience their delay and how a delay may affect their future clinical performance. Mezirow's transformation learning theory was the conceptual framework for this qualitative case study. Research questions addressed new RNs' understanding of their experiences during a delay to professional practice. A purposeful sample included 8 new RNs who had completed a New Graduate Residency Transition Program (NGRTP) after a delay to practice of 6 months to …

Principals' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Development, Carla Brabham Brabham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional leadership is an important aspect of student achievement and the overall success of schools. Principals, as instructional leaders, need continual reflection on their competency. Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) for teachers is implemented and monitored by instructional leaders. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceived instructional leadership development of two principals at two schools where JEPD was used. Weber's model of instructional leadership guided the research questions on how the implementation of JEPD affected the principals' instructional leadership growth and development. Data collection occurred through interviews, observations during principal-led JEPD sessions, and document review after which …

Literacy Training In An Urban High School Professional Learning Community, Vicki Sandra Ross-Norris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of professional learning experiences shared by teachers who participated in a professional learning community (PLC) at a New York City high school in the South Bronx. Guided by Hord's PLC characteristics and Bruner's constructivism theories, this phenomenological study addressed the research questions of what PLC practices urban high school teachers employ to support the academic-literacy achievement of their students of low social economic status (SES); the role of administration in the PLC process; and the roles of a shared mission, values, vision, norms, and collaborative knowledge on the functioning of …

A Case Study Of The Teacher Advancement Program On A Native American Reservation, Shing Aruguete Aruguete

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A school district on a Native American reservation in the southwestern region of the U.S. decided to implement the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) to improve teacher instructional effectiveness and student academic achievement. Although researchers have documented successes of the TAP in high-poverty urban school districts across the U.S., little is known regarding the TAP implementation in remote Native American cultural context schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the collaborative process of the TAP implementation changed the teachers' instructional practices. Using Vygotsky's social constructivism, which emphasizes that learning happens through interactions and cooperation of people in their …

Teachers' Understanding Of Culturally And Linguistically Differentiated Instruction For English Language Learners, Poorandai Itwaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A large school district in the northeastern United States struggled with teaching middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) to succeed in reading and writing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers' perceptions regarding what they could do to increase academic achievement for ELLs. The conceptual framework emerged from Weimer's learning-centered teaching, which aligns with Dewey's social constructivism. Ten purposefully sampled teachers agreed to be interviewed in the attempt to answer the research questions about instructional strategies teachers believed were best to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate instruction for ELLs and what teachers believed could be done to …

Official And Unofficial Mentorship By Generational Cohorts Of State Teachers Of The Year, Angelica Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some school districts are exploring mentorship to help teachers enact more effective classroom practices that lead to higher student outcomes. The Good to Great study, by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year outlined the professional growth opportunities that state teachers of the year (STOYs) perceived as contributing to their success in the classroom. Although the STOYs noted that mentorship was a key factor, the original study did not examine how different generations of educators may respond differently to mentorship based on their generational cohort identity. The purpose of this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study using Good to Great data …

Losing New Graduate Bedside Nurses, A Practice Improvement Initiative, Beverly Elaine Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New graduate nurses (NGNs) at bedside are faced with numerous challenges, which prompt them to leave jobs in their first year. The transition from being a student to competent nurse requires a NGN to have the necessary skills and experience. Subsequently, hospitals continue to face shortages of staff because of high turnover and low retention levels. Nonetheless, evidence from reviewed literature has indicated that the use of residency programs can increase NGNs' stay at bedside, improve retention, reduce costs of operations, and return employees' turnover. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to identify the likelihood of NGNs remaining …

Silent Policy Feedback Through School Choice, Catherine Cecchini Little-Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing numbers of Florida parents are withdrawing their children from traditional public schools in highly-rated school districts to enroll them in tuition-free, startup, charter schools. Since not all parents have equal access or are as equally motivated to elect school choice alternatives, the fiscal sustainability of the traditional public school system is at risk. Using Schattschneider's policy feedback process as a model, the purpose of this research was to gain an in depth understanding of the role policy perception plays on the decision-making process by parents. Data for this qualitative single-case study were collected through interviews with 8 charter school …

The Attitudes, Beliefs, And Perceptions Of Classroom Teachers And School Administrators Regarding Corporal Punishment In Rural Texas Schools, Anthony D. Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perspectives that classroom teachers and school administrators have regarding corporal punishment as an alternative method to correct or change negative classroom behaviors. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, schools have been forced to identify instructional and administrative practices that will increase student achievement while decreasing students' negative classroom behaviors. Negative classroom behaviors among students can interfere with the learning process and impede teachers' instructional delivery. The theories of Piaget and Kohlberg provided a conceptual basis for understanding the behaviors and developmental changes of school-age children. …

Elementary Literacy Coaching In A Florida School District, Crystal Jacqueline Tessmann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literacy coaching is a widely implemented method for increasing teacher effectiveness and student learning. However, literacy coaches, teachers, and administrators from various countries have expressed confusion and concerns regarding this method. In the current research setting, literacy coaching was implemented to improve reading test scores with inconsistent results. Cultural historical activity theory was used as the theoretical framework for this sequential explanatory mixed-methods research that explored literacy coaching relationships in the research site from the teachers' perspectives. Phase 1 research questions examined (a) differences between the amount of time coaches spent with teachers, (b) components of coaching teachers found most/least …

Implications Of The School Improvement Engine For Teacher Retention And School Organizational Health, Lisa M. Digaudio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers working in urban schools in the United States are among those most at-risk for leaving the profession due to poor working conditions and lack of collegial relationships with school leaders and peers, among other factors. Use of professional development tools, such as the School Improvement Engine (SIE), may improve teacher retention and school organizational health; however, little research exists on the use of the SIE in charter schools. The purpose of this case study was to investigate New York City (NYC) school data on teacher retention and student achievement, how NYC charter school leaders participating in the program implemented …

Gaps In Family And Teacher Involvement Beliefs, Malia Decourcy Sakamoto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have shown an increase in student achievement when educational partnerships between families and schools exist. At the elementary school that was the focus of this study, there had once been a thriving family involvement program; however, the number of family-school partnerships had declined in recent years. Students, families, and teachers needed improved knowledge of the types of family involvement programs that everyone would be willing to participate in to increase student learning and achievement. The purpose of this case study was to determine whether the types of involvement currently offered to families at the elementary school matched the types …

Personality Factors That Influence Administrative Assistants' Participation In Continuing Education And Training, Rose Friend Schmitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrative assistants (AAs) provide critical office support for modern businesses, yet many do not participate in the continuing education and training (CE&T) required for rapidly changing technologies and new office procedures. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative correlational study was to investigate whether a significant predictive relationship exists between AAs' general self-efficacy (GSE), locus of control (LOC), and their participation in CE&T activities. The primary research question examined whether a significant predictive relationship existed among these variables, factoring in generation cohort and education level. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Rotter's LOC theory provided the theoretical foundations. Volunteer AAs (n = 125) …

An Analysis Of Gateway Programs On African American Student Retention: A Case Study In An Urban Higher Education Setting, Janice Cook Johnson

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

AN ANALYSIS OF GATEWAY PROGRAMS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT RETENTION: A CASE STUDY IN AN URBAN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTING

by

JANICE COOK JOHNSON

MAY 2017

Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Muriel Shields

Major: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Existing policies and processes have not gone far enough to eradicate the persistent academic achievement gap at Wayne State University. Nor has identifying poor student academic preparation prior to enrollment. By accepting this reality and responsibility, officials and members within the university community can affect change, bringing parity to retention through graduation, by becoming proficient at serving the students …

Ms225: 2017 Faculty Meeting Minutes, Thomas R. Cole

Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers

Original Filename: Faculty Meeting Minutes 010417.docx. Format Details: fmt/412; Microsoft Word for Windows; 2007 onwards. See more at Thomas R. Cole, PhD Papers and its finding aid.

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