Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

Uncovering Potential: How Kentucky Districts Identify And Support Hispanic Students In Gifted And Talented Programs, Melanie Gilzene

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This qualitative study investigates the strategies and processes utilized by six school districts in Kentucky to identify Hispanic English Language Learner (ELL) students for gifted and talented services. Using interviews with gifted and talented coordinators, the research explores how certain Kentucky districts address challenges in traditional identification methods, such as language and cultural biases, through specific tools and practices. Key themes include the limitations of standardized assessments, the significance of professional learning and cultural competency training for educators, and the implementation of inclusive and equitable referral processes. The findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive assessments, local norms, and alternative …

School Personnel Perceptions Of School-Based Mental Health Prevention And Interventions, Kelsey Lytle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite millions of children across the United States experiencing at least one mental health disorder about half do not receive any sort of treatment or counseling. Within schools, many children receive formal intervention services once they are identified. However, there are many other children who would benefit greatly from learning social emotional skills who have not been identified. Prevention could be a great resource to prevent children from falling through the cracks. The purpose of this study was to assess personnel perceptions on the school’s role in student mental health, mental health interventions and prevention, evidence-based practices, and barrier to …

College For What . . . How Middle School Students From Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds Perceived Post-Secondary Education, Michelle Patrick

Dissertations

This study examines the attitudes and perceptions of middle school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds about attending post-secondary institutions. As research continues to explore the experiences of traditional high school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and students' attendance into post-secondary institutions, research concerning middle school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds preparedness for college attendance has been limited. Using a phenomenological research design to obtain the study's results from fifteen students and thirteen parent interviews provided insight into the “lived experience” of the students’ and parents' attitudes and perceptions regarding college attendance. The study found that regardless of the parents’ and …

Ua64/4 College Of Education & Behavioral Sciences Human Relations Center, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the Human Relations Center.

Reasons For The Theory-Practice Gap In Education Administration, Gary Houchens, Ysuf Badavan, Nuray Kisa

School of Leadership & Professional Studies Faculty Publications

The theory-practice gap can be defined as "a failure to apply or to relate the concepts, ideas and theories to professional conditions". The aim of this research was to explore the reasons for the theory-practice gap in the field of educational administration. Participants included 380 school administrators working in primary, secondary and high schools and 57 researchers working in different higher education institutions in Ankara. The views are collected through the questionnaire with two different forms, namely Reasons of Theory-Practice Gap in the Field of Educational Administration developed by the researchers. Data were interpreted by percentages, frequency distributions and chi-square …

Perceptions Of Rural High School Professional School Counselors Regarding The Impact Of Strategies To Help At-Risk Learners Graduate, Beth Duvall Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the perceptions of school counselors regarding the impact of the school counseling program, interventions, and other strategies to help at-risk learners persist to graduate. A qualitative research design employing an interpretive phenomenological analysis methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions allowed the respondents to share insights into the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of their individual experiences as school counselors. The results suggest students with various risk factors choose not to persist to graduate, transferring to homeschool or withdrawing from school as a dropout. Academic deficiency, severe misbehavior, poor attendance, and social …

Ua1c2/82 Jones-Jaggers Hall Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of Jones-Jaggers Hall.

Ua1c2/70 Rural Training School Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of the Rural Training School.

The Role Of Leadership In School Innovation: A Case Study, Savannah Adkins Denning

Dissertations

Expansive research on leadership, particularly school leadership, has suggested leaders have an indirect impact on student outcomes, as leaders build a school’s academic capacity, which elevates teaching and learning (Hallinger, 2010). Though there is significant empirical research regarding school leadership, there is a lack of research investigating the intersection of leadership and innovation. In terms of innovation, “personalized learning,” has become an emerging topic among education researchers, as scholars seek to understand the potential impact personalized learning strategies have on student outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to explore how leadership interacts with innovation. This study specifically explored the …

Administrator And Teacher Perception Of School Culture, Luke Eugene Pniewski

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study measured the culture of Barren County High School using the School Culture Triage Survey. The survey was administered to the teachers and administrators separately to assess the difference of the perception of the school culture within that school. The research suggests that improving a schools culture will increase teacher moral, teacher and administrator cohesiveness, and increase students’ achievement. The results of this research show that the overall school culture is perceived very similarly between the two subgroups (teachers and leadership) but there are areas of the schools culture that are perceived differently, and if improved, can lead to …

Enhancing Instructional Leadership Through Collaborative Coaching: A Multi-Case Study, Gary Houchens, Thomas A. Stewart, Sara Elizabeth Jennings

School of Leadership & Professional Studies Faculty Publications

Purpose – Executive coaching has become increasingly important for enhancing organizational leaders’ professional effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a growing body of research literature that examines how coaching techniques help school principals improve their instructional leadership.

Design/methodology/approach – Using a protocol based on a theories of practice framework (Argyris and Schön, 1974) to support principals in deepening their self-reflection, this study added the element of a guided peer-coaching component in a group setting.

Findings – Results confirmed the effectiveness of the coaching protocol for assisting principals in deepening their self-awareness and critical reflection regarding their …

Secondary School Athletic Administration Certification: State Oversights, Requirements, And Pressing Issues Athletic Directors Encounter, Christopher L. Gaddis

Dissertations

The role of a secondary school athletic director is similar across the United States, although the required credentials for such a position vary immensely from state to state. The athletic administrator position was originally created to improve the oversight of the increasing demands of operating an athletic program. In the past, the number of sports and participants were much smaller than today. Because of this there has not always been a call for highly trained, educated, and experienced interscholastic athletic administrators. In this study, state executive directors/liaisons for the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association provided information regarding their states demographic …

The Effects Of Standards-Based Grading On Student Performance In Algebra 2, Rachel Beth Rosales

Dissertations

The use of standards-based grading in American public schools is increasing, offering students, parents, and teachers a new way of measuring and communicating about student achievement and performance. Parents indicate an appreciation for this method of grading, and students at the elementary grades (K-6) have improved standardized test scores in reading and math as a result of its implementation. This study seeks to determine whether standards-based grading has the same effect on students at the high school level (grades 9-12) by comparing end-of-course test scores and posttest scores of Algebra 2 students enrolled in a standards-based graded classroom with to …

National Board For Professional Teaching Standards Certification And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Lynn A. Hines

Dissertations

Due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and state-level mandates, an economic and moral imperative requires educators today to not only accommodate differences in learning rates and allow extra time for students to experience success, teachers must foster in students the belief that success is within their reach if they keep trying. These new expectations for student learning are clashing with old conceptions of teaching and outmoded approaches and structures for teacher practices. Given the new mission of schools, finding strong models of professional development is imperative. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is a promising model. Self-efficacy, …

The Impact Of Teacher Certification Programs On Teacher Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, And Teacher Performance: A Comparison Of Traditional And Alternative Certification, Christopher Mark Mueller

Dissertations

The method selected to prepare and certify teachers continues to be a widely debated issue. Advocates for alternative certification (AC) contend that allowing content specialists from fields outside of education into the classroom will help meet the demand for teachers in hard-to-fill areas like math, science, and special education. Proponents of traditional teacher certification (TC) programs maintain that placing individuals without strong backgrounds in teaching methods, learning strategies, and child development will impede student achievement.

This study compared the levels of teacher efficacy, job performance and job satisfaction of teachers between AC (N = 164) and TC (N = 960) …

The Relationship Between Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary School Principal Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Joseph Kirk Biggerstaff

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction. The study also investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of elementary school principal leadership style and teacher job satisfaction based on teachers’ demographics (i.e., age, grade level taught, education level, teaching experience). Additionally, an examination of the significant factors that contribute to teacher job satisfaction as identified by the elementary teachers was explored.

This correlational study with a quantitative, non-experimental design utilized two surveys to measure elementary teacher perceptions of principal leadership style (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire [MLQ]) and …

The Preferred Principal: Leadership Traits, Behaviors, And Gender Characteristics School Teachers Desire In A Building Leader, Troy Dan Costellow

Dissertations

This study of 2,802 teachers and 129 school administrators sought to determine the gender, leadership traits, and leadership behaviors most preferred by teachers in Kentucky. Principals were also surveyed to establish which traits they felt were most important for a school leader to possess, and to determine the frequency at which they practiced various leadership behaviors.

Participants were from 194 public elementary, middle, and high schools in thirty-two Kentucky school districts. Leadership traits were based on Marzano, Waters, and McNulty’s (2005) twenty-one responsibilities of school leaders. Teachers and principals were asked to indicate the level of importance for school administrators …

Motivation For High School Students To Read:Differences Among Student Perceptions And Differences Between Student And Teacher Perceptions, Angela Dawn Gunter

Dissertations

Many high school teachers are unaware of, or mistaken about, specific strategies and practices that actually motivate their students to read, and that what motivates one group of students may not motivate another. Although content-area instructors may not have been trained in teaching reading strategy and may feel as though teaching reading is not their job, it is an expectation that could largely be met by the implementation of motivational strategies.

This exploratory study utilized the expectancy theory of motivation and wasconducted to determine which strategies and practices would be most motivational for high school students to read. In a …

Growth Rates Of Curriculum-Based Measurement-Written Expression At The Elementary School Level, Amanda Tadatada

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project appears to be the first to determine growth rates for writing using Curriculum-Based Measurement-Written Expression (CBM-WE). Growth rates, or the amount of change over time, help educators track how much progress can be expected given typical instruction. CBM-WE probes were administered to a sample of 1,004 students in first through fifth grades within a school district. The writing probes were scored using production-dependent variables: Total Words Written (TWW), Words Spelled Correctly (WSC), and Correct Word Sequence (CWS). Data were analyzed by grade level and gender. Results are presented as weekly growth rates. Growth rates were calculated from fall …

Program Evaluation Of Universal Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In Kentucky, Kelly S. Davis

Dissertations

The current study was undertaken to examine the impact of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation on schools in Kentucky. Research questions evaluated (a) whether schools in Kentucky implemented PBIS with fidelity and (b) how PBIS implementation impacted student outcomes. Results of the study indicated that elementary, middle, and high schools implemented PBIS with fidelity. Associations were noted between PBIS implementation and decreases in office discipline referrals, out-of-school suspensions, dropout rate, and student retention rate. Results suggested that the PBIS model of training and technical assistance used in Kentucky demonstrates a reliable model for schools to follow to implement …

The Impact Of School Culture, Teacher Job Satisfaction, And Student Attendance Rates On Academic Achievement Of Middle School Students, Diane Yvonne Hatchett

Dissertations

This quantitative study focused on 760 Kentucky middle school teachers in 28 school districts across the state of Kentucky. The Pearson r was used to determine the relationship among the following variables identified in the study: (a) school culture as measured by the School Culture Triage Survey combined scores, (b) job satisfaction of teachers as measured by the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) scores, (c) student achievement scores as measured by the Commonwealth Assessment Testing Score (CATS) accountability index for each school, and (d) student attendance rates. This study utilized correlation analysis to answer questions one through six and multiple …

Ua94/7/1 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Training Schools Small Collections, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Small collections of items regarding students/alumni of the Training Schools. Some items have been digitized and made available online through TopScholar in Student/Alumni Personal Papers.

Ua100/2/2 Training School & College High Departments, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Training School / College High departments which inlude Athletics, Classes, English, Library, Music and Theatre.

Ua100/2/4 Training School & College High Parent Teacher Association, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the Training School / College High Parent Teacher Association. Includes bylaws, meeting minutes, programs, awards and scrapbooks.

Ua100/2/1 Training School & College High Administration, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by administrators of the school. Records include accreditation reports, attendance data, curriculum guides, textbook reports, letterhead, student teacher evaluations and commencement programs.

Ua37/19 Faculty Personal Papers Alonzo Burton, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records consisting of Alonzo Burton's writings on rural education and literacy. Also contains a compilation of his writings and sayings and a book of tributes assembled upon his death. It is arranged in chronological order.

Ua37/9 Faculty Personal Papers James Carpenter, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Series consists of letters received by James Carpenter during his tenure as director of the Training School at Western Kentucky University. The letters reflect his work with local school districts, the Kentucky Education Association, Phi Delta Kappa and colleagues at WKU. Mr. Carpenter filed these letters in reverse chronological order in notebooks. That order has been maintained. Also included is the 1966 report by Paz Ramos entitled "The Internship Program in College Administration at Western Kentucky State College."

The Athens Of The West: Education In Nashville, 1780-1860, Timothy Augustus Sweatman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Nashville, Tennessee, is known as the Athens of the South because of its reputation as a center of learning. The city’s commitment to education goes back to the days of its founding as a village on the extreme Western frontier of the United States. In 1785, five years after Nashville was first settled, Davidson Academy, an advanced classical school, was established. At the same time, numerous private schools operated in the Nashville area, providing many of the region’s children with a basic education.

During the first quarter of the nineteenth century Nashville moved closer to becoming a major educational center. …

An Evaluation Of The 1990-1991 Hart County Preschool Program, Rhonda Bowman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the 1990-91 school year. Kentucky's public schools received a mandate to begin a preschool program to aid children who were at risk of school failure. Children to be served were three-and four-year-olds qualifying for free lunch or having handicaps.

This study is an evaluation of the preschool program in Hart County Kentucky. Two concerns were identified. These concerns were: (1) identifying teacher and parental perceptions of the program and (2) measuring student academic gains. The results of the evaluation indicate that teachers and parents have a positive attitude about the preschool program. Students participating in the program showed greater …

An Analysis Of Kentucky’S Principals: Perceptions And Preparedness To Assume The Role Of School Based Management, Byron D. Jeffries

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the Kentucky Association of School Administrators Conference, July 1990, principals from across Kentucky were surveyed by a questionnaire to determine their perceptions and preparedness to assume their role under the newly mandated law, House Bill 940, specifically school-based management.

It was the assumption of the researcher that principals across Kentucky have very little background or training in the use of group processes and strategies needed to make school-based management a successful part of Kentucky’s educational process

Based on a statistical analysis of the collected data the research would appear to support the researcher’s assumption. Principals indicated a need for …