Testing, Teacher Turnover And The Distribution Of Teachers Across Grades And Schools, Dillon Fuchsman, Tim R. Sass, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Teacher turnover has adverse consequences for student achievement and imposes large financial costs for schools. Some have argued that high-stakes testing may lower teachers’ satisfaction with their jobs and could be a major contributor to teacher attrition. In this paper, we exploit changes in the tested grades and subjects in Georgia to study the effects of eliminating high-stakes testing on teacher turnover and the distribution of teachers across grades and schools. To measure the effect of testing pressures on teacher mobility choices we use a "difference-in-differences" approach, comparing changes in mobility over time in grades/subjects that discontinue testing vis-à-vis grades/subjects …

Democracy For Homework: A Review Of Civic Engagement In Urban Public Schools, Amanda B. Rosenblum

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Civic engagement education prepares students to actively engage in social and political processes and influence community change. Many educators believe that civic engagement ought to be a central mission of schools because: 1. Adolescent civic engagement predicts adult civic engagement; 2. Schools may be able to reduce the inequity in political participation between individuals of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and 3: Civic engagement orientation and competencies can be developed through any and all content courses and extracurricular opportunities. This literature review on civic engagement education in urban public middle and high schools over the past 15 years explores: 1. …

Call For Manuscripts, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright And Open Access, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Making Sense Of Georgia School Leader Evaluation: Climate, Engagement And The District Office, Bipul Singh, Matt Townsley

Georgia Educational Researcher

Assessment of principal effectiveness is a complex process due to the multidimensional nature of their job. Historically, a disproportionate significance has been placed on standardized assessment scores when evaluating school leaders, therefore states are beginning to emphasize other factors such as school climate in order to increase employee retention. This study investigated any correlation between leadership effectiveness, the staff perception of school climate, and employee engagement in a suburban Georgia school district’s 139 schools. An improved understanding of these constructs may assist principals and assistant principals modify their leadership practices to better meet the needs of their teachers. Results suggest …

The Allied Health Work Readiness Study: Identifying Personal Characteristics Signalling Work Readiness In Allied Health Students, Maxine O'Brien, Kelli Troy, Jayne Kirkpatrick

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Clinical placements associated with university degrees for the allied health professions aim to support the preparation of students for post graduate employment through the practical application of theoretical constructs. However, employers recognise that a range of generic skills and attributes outside of technical and academic achievement impact of work readiness. Allied health clinical educators within Darling Downs Health (DDH) sought to identify these generic characteristics, and their relative importance, with a view to further supporting the work readiness of students completing placements in the district. Method: The study utilised the knowledge and experience of allied health clinical educators, experienced …

Exploring Appreciative Advising As An Equity Approach For African American Students: A Grounded Theory Study Of Academic Advisors At Predominantly White Institutions (Pwis), Valerie Harper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

EXPLORING APPRECIATIVE ADVISING AS AN EQUITY APPROACH FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF ACADEMIC ADVISORS AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS (PWIs)

By

Valerie J. Harper

October 28, 2019

Dissertation supervised by Professor Gretchen Givens Generett

African American matriculation into postsecondary education continues to rise, but degree conferral remains low (Hoston, Graves, & Fleming-Randle, 2010). Arguably, Harper and Hurtado’s (2007) research, as far back as 1992, stated black students and other students of color have dealt with alienation, isolation, and stereotyping at PWIs; this continues to persist today (Lee, 2018), which may interrupt the academic success of African …

Teachers' Perceptions Of How The Teacher Evaluation Process Impacts Classroom Instruction In Three High Poverty School Districts, Zina R. Jones Ms

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Improving the educational system for students and teachers is of the upmost importance. Educational leaders have realized that the best way to improve student success is by improving teachers’ instructional practices and measuring their effectiveness (Mathers, Oliva, & Laine, 2008). Because of this awareness, educators have realized the importance of connecting student achievement with instructional practices and instructional practices with teacher effectiveness. Evaluation tools are used to measure how effective teachers are in their classrooms. Evaluations are crucial in assisting our teachers in their professional growth. When evaluations are utilized as supportive tools, they help teachers and administrators identify …

The Case For Grammar: What Preservice Teachers Need To Know About Metalinguistic Awareness, Aimee Schoonmaker, Kerry L. Purmensky

Journal of English Learner Education

The present study focused on preservice teachers’ grammar knowledge and its importance for their future students’ understanding and use of language, particularly English Learners. This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study investigated the grammar knowledge of preservice teachers who were enrolled in an undergraduate applied linguistics course at an urban university in the southern United States. The results confirmed prior research which found that preservice teachers are not knowledgeable enough about English grammar when explaining sentence level errors. This study demonstrated that preservice teachers’ basic understanding of English grammar can be increased in a short time, particularly in the recognition of simple …

Ell Families: Myths, Truths And Strategies For Engagement, Stephanie Knight, Marjaneh Gilpatrick

Journal of English Learner Education

This article is the first in our new category, Teaching Tips. These are practitioner articles designed to enhance existing in-service teacher's classroom strategies with ELs.

Parental involvement may be the strongest predictor of a child receiving a solid education. This means it is vital that teachers and administrators understand the students’ families’ culture and the way they view education. We also must be proactive with them so that we can empower them with literacy strategies to ensure academic success. Also, many English Language Learner (ELL) families are not familiar with the school system in the United States and may …

Administrative Involvement With Student Discipline And Teacher Morale In Mississippi Schools, Melanie Taylor

Dissertations

Administrative involvement is vital to the success of a school; therefore, the school principal has the authority and responsibility to offer various forms of support to teachers and students that make daily tasks and procedures more efficient and effective. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of administrative involvement in student discipline on teacher morale. This quantitative study explored the relationship between administrative involvement and teacher morale by examining the administrator’s involvement with student discipline accounting for school climate.

Informed by a theoretical framework that includes path-goal theory (House, 1996) and leadership behaviors and traits that are …

Contextual Factors In Early Career Teaching: A Systematic Review Of International Research On Teacher Induction And Mentoring Programs, Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Keith D. Walker, Lorraine Godden

Journal of Global Education and Research

Early career teachers (ECTs) are situated in a dynamic contextual landscape that both influences their development and practice and dictates professional expectations for instruction and professional learning. This systematic review of international research literature sought to establish the understanding of teacher induction and mentoring program support of ECTs through the following research questions: 1) which nations and regions are represented in research literature that details formal or programmatic support of ECTs? 2) what international research evidence is there to describe various contextual factors that affect experiences of ECTs? and, 3) how do teacher induction and mentorship programs respond to the …

Teacher Evaluation Practices And Policy Implications: Effective Strategies For Changing Instruction, Scott Grens

Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation of the effectiveness of teacher evaluation practices in a small suburban elementary school district in Illinois from 2017-2019. The primary research question explored in this program evaluation is whether and to what extent the teacher evaluation process is changing teacher practices in Washington School District 25. Employing a qualitative research methodology, with data gathered from teacher interviews, school administrator interviews, and document analysis, this study identified several key components to the improvement of instructional practices for teachers. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the importance of the following: a common instructional framework, staff involvement in …

Organizational Conditions That Promote And Impede Research Engagement: The Principal’S Perspective, Renee Treat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher explored perceptions of the research-practice gap in education, the process through which central actors make decisions related to teacher retention and development, and the organizational conditions that promote and impede research-engagement in this qualitative study. The researcher limited the study to the role of the campus principal and used purposive sampling to select participants from 3 diverse districts in the state of Texas. Because there may be discrepancies between leaders’ perceptions and behaviors, the researcher conducted interview sessions with principals and principal supervisors and conducted observation sessions in principals’ natural work environments. The study results showed that good …

Simulations In Educational Leadership Internship Programs, Stefanie Shames

Faculty Publications

This brief describes the state of educational leadership internships. Immersing future leaders in virtual reality simulations has the potential to standardize performance expectations and is explored as a method of harnessing the power of technology to provide practice in responding to actual situations while learning to lead.

The Assessment Of Faith And Learning, Beth Green, Albert Cheng, David Smith

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Practicing Faith Survey (PFS) is a new assessment tool designed to measure the extent to which schoolchildren connect their faith to learning. This paper reviews the landscape of educational assessment and argues that assessment remains a critical element in the design of Christian teaching and learning. It suggests that unease around the concept of educational measurement leads to limited attempts to assess faith formation in the context of learning. The paper discusses PFS as a way to reframe the design process consistent with distinctively Christian practices of teaching and learning.

Assessing Christian Learning: Vocation, Practices, And Investment, David Smith, Mia Kurkechian, Beth Green, Albert Cheng

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This paper describes a new initiative co-funded by the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning at Calvin University and Cardus. The initiative builds upon past Cardus work on assessing Christian school outcomes as well as the Kuyers Institute’s work on Christian pedagogical practices. The project has developed a new online assessment tool to help Christian secondary schools assess the Christian formation that they seek to offer their students and review their own educational practices. This tool, the Practicing Faith Survey, will be piloted in an initial cluster of schools in 2020. It asks students to self-report on their investment …

The Development And Validation Of The Practicing Faith Survey, Albert Cheng, Beth Green, David Smith

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The Practicing Faith Survey (PFS) is a new assessment tool designed to measure the extent to which schoolchildren connect their faith to learning. PFS measures student engagement with five domains of Christian practice in connection with learning: intellectual, relational, introspective, benevolence, and formational practices. We describe the item-development process and then present evidence for the validity and reliability of the PFS based on a sample of 1,300 fifth- through twelfth-grade students who participated in a pilot of the instrument.

An Examination Of The Characteristics And Perceptions Of School Resource Officers In Rural And Urban Oklahoma Schools, Valerie H. Hunt, Melissa A. Taylor, Brett Fitzgerald, Eric D. Button, Brinck Kerr

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Fueled by concerns about school violence, the number of School Resource Officers (SROs) in the United States has soared. SROs are law enforcement officers who work in elementary and secondary schools and who are tasked to increase school safety. As of 2016, 48 percent of US public schools had SROs, compared to less than one percent in the 1970s, yet there are few studies that measure their effects. In particular, the literature largely ignores rural/urban differences. This study uses survey data from SROs working in public schools in Oklahoma to understand their roles and to determine if there are differences …

Can Information Widen Socioeconomic Gaps In Postsecondary Aspirations? How College Costs And Returns Affect Parents’ Preferences For Their Children, Albert Cheng, Michael Henderson, Paul E. Peterson, Martin R. West

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

To estimate whether information can close socioeconomic gaps in parents’ aspirations for their child’s postsecondary education, we administer a four-armed survey experiment to a nationally representative sample of U.S. parents. After respondents estimate costs of and returns to further education, we ask whether they prefer that their child pursue a four-year degree, a two-year degree, or no further education. Before this question is posed, the treated are first told:

(1) the net annual costs of pursuing a four-year and two-year degree in their state,

(2) the annual returns to four-year and two-year degrees as compared to no further education in …

Cross-Cultural Considerations: Raising Language Teachers Awareness About The Importance Of Multiculturalism, Abir El Shaban

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

With the worldwide use of English as a second language (ESL) and globalization, teachers are expected to understand, acknowledge and interact with culturally and linguistically diverse students and integrate their linguistic and multicultural backgrounds in classroom settings. Teachers need to be multicultural to be able to successfully impact their students to be multicultural. This paper provides English language teachers with valuable recommendations based on cross-cultural studies and my experience, as an ESL teacher, on how to be responsive to students from different cultures to empower and enhance their language proficiency skills.

Parental Occupational Choice And Children's Entry Into A Stem Field, Albert Cheng, Katherine Kopotic, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

We explore the intergenerational occupational transmission between parents and their children as it pertains to entry into the STEM field. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, we study student’s aspirations to work in a STEM field and eventual STEM education and employment. We show how these patterns change depending on whether the student’s parents work in a STEM field. We find strong effects of parental occupation type on student’s STEM outcomes that are heterogeneous by student gender. High school boys are more likely to aspire to work in STEM if one of their parents do so. By adulthood, both …

Educational Leaders, Professional Learning Communities, And Social Media, Ashley Johnson-Holder, Terrie Bethea-Hampton

Journal of Research Initiatives

Though social media is at the forefront of technology strategies in the effort to close the digital divide, many educators fail to find the benefit in platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MeWe. On the other hand, for many educators, social media has become the “go-to” resource, now that face-to-face communication is decreasing and social media is becoming the popular platform for keeping audiences engaged and informed. Social media has the potential of giving educational leaders the opportunity of communicating with multiple users simultaneously. Since students, parents, faculty, and educational stakeholders are using social media; this makes it an excellent …

Examining The Responsibilities Of Faculty Senates, James G. Archibald, Errick D. Farmer, James L. Maiden, Christopher A. Ray

Journal of Research Initiatives

Faculty senates function to preserve and represent the interest of the faculty during the decision-making process. The purpose of this article is to initiate dialogue focused on increasing the influence of the faculty senates in an era of declining power.

Perceptions Of Certified Central Office Administrators Who Choose Not To Apply For The Position Of Superintendent, Felicia Moschella

Educational Studies Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the reasons why certified, qualified central office administrators choose not to become school superintendents. The study investigated factors and conditions that may influence their decision-making. Twenty-two certified central office administrators employed in southeastern, Massachusetts responded to a forty-five-question survey, and four of those participants were also interviewed. This study led to eight findings. A majority of study participants: (1) held a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the superintendent; (2) possessed the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be a superintendent, but have chosen to not ascend to the position; (3) conveyed that becoming a …

Tools Enabling A Student Who Is Blind In A Liberal Arts Chemistry Laboratory Course, Jessica Michael, H. David Wohlers

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Chemistry laboratories ordinarily involve a number of visual observations and require qualitative and quantitative explanations of these observations. A student with blindness at Truman State University successfully completed the laboratory portion of the nonmajors liberal arts chemistry course with the assistance of a senior undergraduate chemistry education major, the guidance of a chemistry professor with blindness, and a variety of alternative laboratory methods. Volumes were measured using a notched syringe or the graduated cylinder pipet technique. Changes in color were measured by a Color Analysis Laboratory Sensor (CALS) and a Submersible Audio Light Sensor (SALS). Balance and Vernier probe measurements …

Assessment Of Climate Science Knowledge And Perceptions Of Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Students, Annemarie Ross, Kyle Edenzon, Susan Smith Pagano, Randy Yerrick, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Curricula related to sustainability and climate science are being integrated into academic science courses and programs. We set out to assess the knowledge of some of these environmental concepts among a group of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (D/d/HH) postsecondary students. A survey that attempted to gauge student understanding and perceptions of climate science was developed, administered to D/d/HH and hearing college students, and analyzed. Preliminary results showed that there could be some gaps in related knowledge among the D/d/HH group. Rasch analysis was then used to assess the quality of the survey for the intended outcomes and improved iterations of the survey were …

Wcag 2.1 Meets Stem: Application, Interpretation, And Opportunities For Further Standard Development, Jason White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This paper offers an overview of changes introduced in the recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standard that have implications for the accessibility of content in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In reviewing new provisions of WCAG 2.1, interpretive questions are raised regarding their application to mathematical and scientific materials. The paper is concluded with a brief discussion of opportunities for further enhancing accessibility of STEM materials in future revisions of the Guidelines.

2019-2020 Campus Handbook, Otterbein Student Affairs Office

Student Affairs

The Campus Life Handbook is the official guide for all students of Otterbein University. It is updated annually by the Student Affairs Office. The handbook provides information you need now and throughout the academic year.

Increasing Principal Candidates’ Self-Efficacy Through Virtual Coaching, Travis E. Lewis, Karen D. Jones

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Skill development in instructional coaching and feedback is difficult to adequately simulate within a principal preparation program. As a result, many new administrators enter the field with little to no experience in instructional coaching and, therefore, feel tremendous uncertainty and low self-confidence. This study explored the effect a virtual coaching experience has on self-efficacy for principal preparation program students. Preservice teacher candidates were matched with principal candidates to provide virtual instructional coaching to the benefit of all involved. The findings of this study indicate that practice through virtual coaching is positively related to increased self-efficacy in principal candidates.