Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

What It's Like To Be A Migrant Worker, Jonathan Harris

Migration in Global Context Symposium

This lesson was used for my seventh and eighth grade students to illustrate the difficulties in a life of a migrant worker. Our school changed our main fund raiser from selling World's Finest Chocolate to Fair Trade Chocolate over concerns of fair wages and conditions for the workers. This lesson, combined with a lesson from the parent volunteers on the business side, illustrated how unfair the conditions and pay were for migrant workers.

An Analysis Of A Middle School Curriculum: Through The Lens Of Personal Responsibility, Social Responsibility, And Social Justice, Kristen Ashley Clark

Theses and Dissertations

One of the fundamental goals of 21st century schools is for students to become independent thinkers through the use of comprehensive academic curriculum that merges academic and social skills to prepare students to compete and engage in an increasingly changing world. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the ways in which three of Schwab’s four functions, social responsibility, personal responsibility, and social justice, were embedded and measured within core academic curriculum. The study also examined how teachers perceived students’ behaviors as a result of a social justice mindset.

The study was conducted using a traditional qualitative methodology …

The Implementation Of A New Teacher Evaluation Model: A Qualitative Case Study Of How Teachers Make Sense Of The Marzano Evaluation Model, Brian P. Donahue

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how teachers understood and changed their instructional practice in response to imposed teacher evaluation requirements. The strategy of inquiry was a single case study, representative of a large suburban high school adapting to the changes required under the provisions of Achieve NJ, the policy mandating new teacher evaluation (Yin, 2009). The theoretical framework of sensemaking and sensegiving guided the analysis of how teachers processed the changes to their evaluation system and the role the context played in the implementation of the MTEM (Weick, 1995, Gioia & Chittipeddi, 1991). Data was …

Exploring My Leadership Practice In Connection To The Support System For Second- To Fourth-Year Non-Tenured Teachers, Joseph Patrick Vespignani

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnography study offers a personalized story of an elementary school principal's leadership growth and application to practice as a result of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program at Rowan University. Specifically, this study explored leading change to support second- to fourth-year non-tenured teachers. It is connected to the larger issue of new teacher attrition that continues to plague public schools across the nation. It is also aligned with the recent mandate of AchieveNJ that every public school in New Jersey must establish a School Improvement Panel (ScIP). Through reflective practice, I conducted a self-analysis of my leadership …

The Coaching Principal: Building Teacher Capacity Through The Texas Teacher Evaluation And Support System (T-Tess), Nathan R. Templeton, Kent Willis, Lavelle Hendricks

Education Doctorate Faculty Works

In response to mandates from the United State Department of Education, Texas revamped its educator evaluation systems to better support teacher professional growth. This best practice research informs practitioners of strategies to build teacher capacity through the leadership coaching attributes necessary for effective implementation of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS).

Citation: Templeton, N., Willis, K., & Hendricks, L. (2016). The Coaching Principal: Building Teacher Capacity Through the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 8(4).

Building Better Courses: Examining The Content Validity Of The Inacol National Standards For Quality Online Courses, David Adelstein, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

In 2011, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning released the second iteration of the National Standards for Quality Online Courses. These standards have been used by numerous institutions and states around the country to help design and create K-12 online courses. However, there has been no reported research on the validity of the standards or the accompanying rubric. This study compares all elements under the five main standards to contemporary K-12 or higher education online course literature. The research concludes with suggested changes and additions, as well as an explanation as to how the research connects to a larger …

A Case Study To Discover The Factors Impacting North Georgia School Leaders' Choices In Assignment Of Co-Teaching Partnerships, Donna Cherveny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Assignment of co-teaching partnerships fails to be recognized fully in the current base of literature. Literature documents the impact of teachers on educational environments and student success, hiring choices of school leaders, and the implementation of co-teaching; however, literature is lacking at the junction of these topics. The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to discover the factors that impact choices of North Georgia school leaders when assigning co-teaching partnerships. Participants included 13 school leaders from 7 North Georgia school districts who are responsible for assigning co-teaching partnerships. Results of the study demonstrate that personal characteristics, professional experiences, …

Principals’ Perspectives On The Professional Development Process And Its Outcomes, Sara Kathleen Moore

Dissertations

This study examined principals’ perspectives on the professional development process and its outcomes. Principals are in the best position to ensure a connection between research-based best practices and what actually happens in the classroom, but there is little research on how principals actually select professional development for their staff in the field. This study was conducted in a Midwestern state using data gathered from public elementary school principals in the form of a survey. The sample included all K-5 and K-8 elementary principals on record with the state department of education, with 242 principals responding. It examined how much control …

The Impact Of Involvement In Educational Politics On New Jersey Teachers' Job Satisfaction, Self-Efficacy, And Work Locus Of Control: A Survey Research Study, Kayla Lott

Theses and Dissertations

A paradigm shift has occurred for the field of education with a renewed focus on accountability and performance. This increase in accountability along with new mandates and regulations are factors that lead to low teacher retention, especially for young teachers with less than five academic years of experience (Shen et al, 2002). Unfortunately, teachers have little influence on the creation or implementation of new education reform initiatives. The purpose of this survey research was to explore the relationship between teacher involvement in educational politics, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and work locus of control. This study measured these variables using the Brayfield-Rothe …

The Assessment Of Scientific Reasoning Skills Of High School Science Students: A Standardized Assessment Instrument, Shane Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of science education has been achieving scientific literacy. However, this has been no easy task considering that scientific literacy has many definitions that involve a plethora of activities. This means that assessing the topic becomes quite challenging, especially if this is done with some sort of overarching instrument. Fortunately, Shamos (1995) has characterized the many dimensions of scientific literacy into three levels. These dimensions can then be assessed individually, making the task of assessment less overwhelming. The highest level, true scientific literacy contains dimensions that are discussed in this study, which already have individual assessments. Wenning's Nature …

The Nature Of Teacher Learning In Collaborative Data Teams, Robert Michaud

The Qualitative Report

As data teams have grown in popularity in recent years, they have been increasingly looked to by educational researchers because of the tantalizing prospect of combining teachers’ on the job professional development with increased and effective data use to drive instruction. Data teams have been increasingly implemented within schools by educational leaders attempting to take advantage of what teachers learn from each other in the context of a data team. Many conceptual models of data team function have been proposed, but few empirical studies have examined how teachers learn from collaborating with each other in a data team. This paper …

Turnaround Elementary Principals In Rural Missouri, Julie C. Delaney

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rural high poverty schools can often be invisible to those not living in rural areas. The number of students in rural areas is not far below the number of urban students, yet there has been little attention or research about rural school student achievement (Arnold et al., 2006; Pitchford 2011; Richard, 2005). The state of Missouri has established a program entitled Top Ten By Twenty. This initiative has been an impetus for change in rural high poverty schools. The program has led to increased student achievement in more than 60 rural high poverty schools. In this study, these schools were …

Washington State School District Superintendent Use Of Social Media For Public Relations And Communication, Jonathan R. Tienhaara

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine usage and perception of superintendent participation in social media for the purposes of public relations and communication in the State of Washington. Tenets of Social-Customer Relationship Management (Social-CRM) were used as the theory to support how social media can be used to establish and enhance public relations with school district stakeholders. Washington’s (N = 295) school district superintendents were electronically surveyed to collect data on their use and perception of social media utilization for public relations and communication. The data were analyzed to determine how Washington superintendents use social media for …

Building Successful Academic And Behavioral Programs For At-Risk Youth: Low And No Cost Options, Jeannette Hallam

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

In order to effectively educate all students and make progress in closing the achievement gap, we must look at two areas for school improvement: positive relationships, and school policies and procedures. Participants in this group will walk away with strategies for building positive relationships, reducing the drop-out rate, and assisting students in meeting their goals. Participants will also learn how to evaluate current policies and procedures that may be restricting student growth or achievement through data awareness.

Relationship-Based School & Classroom Management, Ryan Lucas, Matt Teegarden

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Participants will learn about the four roles of relationship-based classroom and school management in working with students of all ages. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on previous interactions with students (some that went well and some that didn't go so well), learn which role is their strength ("go-to" role), and identify the role with which they need peer support. This presentation is given lecture style with encouraged audience participation and includes plenty of laughter, practical applications, and"just-in-time" ideas to implement the very next day.

Rigor Demystified, Now What?: Applying & Aligning Webb’S Depth Of Knowledge To Literacy & Math Instruction., Barbara Serianni, Kelly Brooksher

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

After exploring the four levels of cognitive rigor in Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (DOK) and the alignment to the Common Core. Participants will further engage in hands-on activities designed to model the application of DOK in the content areas of literacy and mathematics to improve instructional alignment, increase student engagement, and ensure appropriate rigor in classroom activities and assessment.

A Case Study Of The Challenges And Strategies Of Rural School Superintendent/Principals In California, Christine Mccormick

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify the challenges faced by rural school superintendent/principals and the corresponding strategies used to mitigate those challenges. The role of the superintendent/principal is considered to be one of the most challenging administrative roles; little if no research had been conducted on the challenges and strategies of this dual administrative role. The target population for the present study was the forty-six superintendent/principals in California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), Region 2. Three superintendent/principals from this target population, who have served four years or more in their role, were selected to …

An Overview Of The Every Student Succeeds Act, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Controversial since becoming law in 2002 as the re-authorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has been portrayed by critics as federal overreach in education, even as supporters viewed the bill as a necessary reform to improve the academic performance of students in K–12 schools. Regardless, NCLB proved so unwieldy that 43 states and the District of Columbia received waivers from many of its accountability provisions in return for adopting policies favored by the U.S. Department of Education (Layton 2015).

The recent seven-year-overdue re-authorization of the law received widespread bipartisan support …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Strategies For Change In New Jersey’S Teacher Evaluations: How Principals Make Meaning Of The Danielson Framework For Teaching, Sara Jane Van Ness

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, education in the United States has been framed within a context of crisis where American students have been perceived as unable to compete with their international peers in an increasingly competitive global environment. Some responses to this perceived crisis included reforms, which changed teacher evaluation policies. In New Jersey, the Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TeachNJ) Act mandated that districts use a state-approved model for evaluations, the most popular of which was the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT). The FFT has become an integral part of teacher evaluation reform, and this study …

The Predictive Influence Of Family And Community Demographic Variables On Grade 7 Student Achievement In Language Arts And Mathematics, Adam Wolfe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational, explanatory, longitudinal study sought to determine the combination of community and family-level demographic variables found in the 2010 U.S. Census data that most accurately predicted a New Jersey school district’s percentage of students scoring proficient or above on the 2010, 2011, and 2012 NJ ASK 7 in Language Arts and Mathematics. Analysis included simultaneous multiple linear regression and hierarchical linear regression. The population for this study included 100% of New Jersey school districts containing at least 25 valid NJ ASK scores in Language Arts and Mathematics for the years 2010-2012 and complete 2010 census data for the communities …

Pre-College Deaf Students’ Understanding Of Fractional Concepts: What We Know And What We Do Not Know, Keith Mousley, Christopher Kurz

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Mathematical knowledge and skills are crucial to success in academics and the workplace. The Common Core State Standards emphasizes fraction teaching and learning in elementary school. This mixed-method study explores fraction concept understanding among 14 deaf and hard of hearing participants between the ages of 8 and 16, as quantitatively measured by their ability to describe the properties of fractional numbers, convert between fractional numbers and their visual representations, and determine the order and equivalence of fractional numbers. Furthermore, the qualitative study was supplemented by interviews with the deaf participants and surveys with their parents and teachers to examine use …

The Impact Of Principal Leadership Behaviors On The Efficacy Of New And Experienced Schools To Watch-Taking Center Stage Middle School Teachers, Melanie A. Dopson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study is to identify the impact of principal leadership behaviors on the efficacy of new and experienced teachers in California STW-TCS middle schools.

Methodology: This quantitative study investigated leadership behaviors of principals that enhance the efficacy of teachers. Teachers from Bay Area – Sacramento STW-TCS middle schools were surveyed using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) and Principal Rating and Rating Scale (PRRS). Demographic information was obtained to compare principal behaviors and teacher efficacy in relation to teacher gender, teacher years of experience, poverty level of school, school size, and location of school …

Transgressive Acts In An Era Of Accountability: Narratives Of New Jersey's Public School Teachers, Gary Daniel Scavette

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the transgressive responses that have emerged in the wake of AchieveNJ, New Jersey’s new teacher evaluation system. Ten teachers, each with five or more years of teaching experience, all of which had demonstrated manifestations of transgression, were selected from random schools throughout the state based upon surveyed response. Through the use of graphic elicitation and narrative interviews, the teachers in this study revealed a variety of responses ranging from open acts of defiance, to more subtle performances, enacted on the spot, while under the surveillance of inspectors. Findings suggest that the …

Supporting Systems Change Via Participatory Decision-Making: Positive Behavioral Intervention And Support Program Development, Rebecca J. Cook Ph.D., Frank E. Mullins Ph.D., Phoebe A. Okungu Ph.D., Thomas J. Sinclair M.Ed.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article describes the successful application of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program through participatory decision-making by an entire school faculty. The unique feature of this program was the use of the Nominal Group Technique to elicit a bottom-up approach of securing participants’ input and commitment. It demonstrates the process of research to practice in the school setting that cuts through resistance to change by creating a consensus environment. This process can be easily implemented by school districts to develop programs that meet students and staff needs in a change-friendly fashion.

Equitable Compensation: Quantifying The Salary Differences Of Comparison Communities, Margaret A. Murray

New England Journal of Public Policy

Teacher salary scales from a target district are compared with those from six groups of comparable districts to provide a quantitative basis from which to assess self-serving bias in the selection of comparison districts. Comparison districts are used to gauge salary equity during contract negotiations. Salary data were extracted for three salary columns (bachelor’s, master’s, and master’s plus 30 credits) from the 2014–15 Massachusetts teacher contracts from forty-eight districts. Comparison district groups were formed using six methods: three single-criterion and three multiple-criteria. Implications for selecting methods are also discussed.

Transcending We/They: A Qualitative Formative Evaluation Of The Transformative Potential Of An In-District Leadership Development Program, Jennifer Anne Sharp

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative formative evaluation study revealed how teacher participation in an in-district leadership academy at a New Jersey school district engaged participants in preparing for future leadership roles. A program evaluation using qualitative methods can provide feedback on initiatives so that informed decisions can be made about program improvements (Patton, 2002b; Powell, 2006). Using a series of focus group discussions and interviews to gather such feedback, the study has informed decisions about one program’s evolving structure. Themes that emerged from the data provided by 13 participants were viewed through a constructivist framework, and using Mezirow’s (1981; 1985; 1994; 1997) theory …

Teacher Blogging Redux: Post With Caution, Charles J. Russo, Marcus Heath

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

In the December 2014 issue of School Business Affairs, this column (Russo 2014) addressed a case from Pennsylvania, Munroe v. Central Bucks School District (2014), that explored the free speech rights of public school teachers who blog on the Internet.

In Munroe, a school board in Pennsylvania dismissed a tenured high school teacher who posted controversial, derogatory remarks about her students and others on her personal blog. The Third Circuit subsequently affirmed that insofar as the blog entries were disruptive to school operations, the teacher’s dismissal did not violate the First Amendment (Munroe 2015).

Munroe highlights the need for school …

Professional Development Data: A Review Of Action Research And Data Analysis And Its Implications For Special Education, Jennifer Lee Suppo

Journal of Research Initiatives

In today’s world of accountability and budgeting constraints, schools are examining how they get the most “bang for their buck” in the area of professional development experiences. Professional development has traditionally been used to keep teachers and administrators abreast of current teaching strategies. In using the traditional model of professional development, typically the school or district would have a speaker, who was knowledgeable on a random topic of education, come in and conduct a one-day seminar. More often than not, there was little accountability to this traditional model; little if any data was taken to see if the knowledge obtained …

Impact Of Class Size On Learning, Behavioral And General Attitudes Of Students In Secondary Schools In Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, Taofeek Ayotunde Yusuf, C A. Onifade, O S. Bello

Journal of Research Initiatives

Poor performance of university undergraduate students has been traced to their poor academic performance and attitudes in secondary schools. There was concern over whether class size was responsible for this. Researches on the effect of class size on academic performance and achievement exist. The study was carried out to investigate the impact of class size on students’ attitude to studies using four (4) selected secondary schools in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria. Possible effect of class size on the general, learning and behavioral attitudes were considered. Its impact was also correlated with effect of other possible factors. Questionnaires were administered to …

Realizing The Dream: African American Males’ Narratives That Encouraged The Pursuit Of Doctoral Education, Ted N. Ingram

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article used personal narratives to discover factors affecting the decision of African American males to consider doctoral education. This study was based on qualitative interviews with 18 African American male doctoral students enrolled at predominantly white institutions as they reflected on their reasons for pursuing an advanced degree. The following were found to influence their decision: (a) need for faculty encouragement, (b) motivation to pursue a doctorate, and (c) their personal motivations. Recommendations are offered for increasing the numbers of African American male doctoral students.