Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Teachers' Participation In Formal Induction Programs And Their Subsequent Level Of Professional Growth In Wisconsin Public Schools, Paul Edmund Blanford Sr.

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between teachers' participation in formal induction programs and their subsequent level of professional growth as measured by two variables (graduate level credits/graduate degrees attained) as reported by public school teachers in the State of Wisconsin. In addition, selected demographic variables (teachers' age; teachers grade level taught; teachers' school district size; training and support provided to teachers in their first years of teaching; participation by teachers in mentoring and induction programs; teachers' level of education) were examined for their predictive relationships with teacher induction and professional development.

This study was conducted during the spring of 2007. …

The Effect Of The Middle School Concept On Student Achievement In Coastal Mississippi Middle Level Schools, Mary Lee Davis

Dissertations

In this study, the researcher examined the effect of the implementation of the middle school concept on student achievement in coastal Mississippi middle level schools with a grade configuration of 6-8. The study was conducted in the fall semester of the 2006-2007 school year; archival data were collected from the Mississippi Department of Education's Web site. There were 15 schools identified as housing grades 6-8; of those 15, participants included 12 coastal Mississippi middle level schools. There was a total of 9 schools identified as implementing the middle school concept, and 6 schools were identified as not implementing the concept; …

Student Achievement And Teacher Perception In Small Schools And Large Schools, Frances Irene Dearman

Dissertations

The study analyzed student achievement in various school sizes and teachers' perceptions of relationships and interactions with colleagues, students, and parents depending on the size of the school in which teachers work. The purpose was to assist school leaders when they are faced with decisions about school size.

Simple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship of achievement and school size of fourth-grade students. The variables mathematics achievement and size and language arts achievement and size were positively correlated. These findings suggest that as the size of a school increases, achievement increases. After holding the variables socioeconomic status and …

Comparisons Between High-Performing And Low-Performing Charter Schools, Bonnie J. Stephens

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to explore the common clcmcnls of high performing charter schools that are not present in low performing charlcr schools. Schools ,.vere selected for the study based on a comparison of the performance of their students on stale assessments to the local public school district students. Six charter schools from the Midwest states oflndiana, Illinois and Michigan were studied with a focus on lhc role or the principal, the school mission, teacher development, programming and curriculum and instrnctional philosophies. One major finding was supported: a mission based on high academic achievement for every student that was reflected …

Koinonia, Rick Zomer, David Johnstone, Tim Elmore, Gene C. Fant Jr., Edee Schulze, Connie Sjoberg, Mike Broberg, David A. Kennedy, Nicole Hoefle, Michael Santarosa, Stephanie Santarosa, Jason M. Morris, Heidi Johnston

Koinonia

Spotlight Features
Has Facebook Jumped the Shark?, Rick Zomer

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Virtual Community, David Johnstone

Screenagers: How Technology is Changing the Way we Interact with Students, Tim Elmore

'In Loco Parentis' Revisited, Gene C. Fant Jr.

ACSD News: From Location to Interest: ACSD Considers Move from Regional to Collaboratives Model, Edee Schulze, Connie Sjoberg, Mike Broberg, David A. Kennedy, Nicole Hoefle

Thinking Theologically
Keeping Faith: Serving Students or the Kingdom, Michael and Stephanie Santarosa

Book Reviews
Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education, reviewed by Jason M. Morris

My Freshman Year, Heidi Johnston

Features …

A Study Of Teacher Leadership And Its Relationship With School Climate In American Public Schools: Findings From Sass 2003-2004, Donghai Xie

Dissertations

This study made inquiry into teacher leadership and its relationship with school climate in American public schools by using the data from SASS 2003-04 by National Center for Education Statistics. The study was focused on the statistical assessment of public school teachers' perceptions of teacher leadership in the areas of school operation and classroom operation. Another aspect to be inquired was teachers' perceptions of school climate in the dimensions of school leadership and teacher collaboration.

The results of descriptive analyses in the study indicated that the majority of public school teachers did not consider they had much influence over the …

Determining The Role Of Technology In Supporting The Professional Growth Of Administrative Leadership Candidates, Antoinette P. Bruciati, Gail Nordmoe

Education Faculty Publications

School improvement planning that is guided through data-driven decision making has been recognized as a “best practice” among educational leaders for many years. Although national standards for school administrators routinely incorporate educational and information technology components, state boards of education do not currently mandate technology training for those enrolled in programs leading to administrative certification. As a result, many school administrators may not be adequately prepared to use computer and information technologies supportive of their roles and responsibilities. This investigation examined the perceptions and current technological literacy of individuals enrolled in a university-level Administrative Leadership Program. Research focused on the …

Analysis Of A Pilot Implementation Of Problem Based Learning Strategy For A Logistics Undergraduate Education Programme, Margaret Farrell

Conference Papers

Research findings suggest that a supply chain manager's job is complex and multidimensional, requiring both general management and logistics/supply chain specific knowledge, competencies and skills. The challenge for logistics educators is to design and develop curricula, teaching and assessment methodologies that can support wide-ranging and integrative learning objectives, which include team, people, project management and technological skills. Problem based learning (PBL) draws heavily on andragogical principles, requiring the student to be self directed and responsible for their own learning as they seek to solve a ‘real life’ problem, within a group. The paper presents the analysis of the teachers experience …

Staff Perceptions Of Structure, Process, And School Readiness Outcomes In Private South Florida Child Care Centers, Deborah Mazzeo

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The quality of child care centers and school readiness outcomes continue to be important topics in the State of Florida since policymakers, school districts, and child care centers, in August 2005, began to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program. The problem area of child care is whether various characteristics of child care center programs result in different outcomes for children's development.

Qualities of child care centers can be attributed to structure and process variables. A theoretical framework that is grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory is discussed. The structure-process-outcome model of quality and Spady's outcome-based education model were combined to explain the …

National Board Certification: A Scholarly Endeavor, Kathryn Loveless

All Graduate Projects

If today's students are going to succeed they need quality teachers. To atiract and retain those teachers, we need to have a system to recognize and reward those teachers. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was created to fill that need. This study presents the historical development of the Natio1ial Board Teacher Certification program, research on its effects on student learning, and the personal certification experience of a teacher practitioner. The high standards set by the NBPTS are commendable and worthy of being replicated in teacher training programs. These standards set the ground work for what teachers should …

Results Of The Accreditation Process To Guide Postsecondary Certificate-Granting Institution Improvement, Sherri E. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research gaps exist in knowledge about postsecondary certificate-granting institutions, as well as results of accreditation processes. This qualitative study focuses on national accreditation results that can: 1) define strengths and improvement areas in these institutions; 2) determine why action is taken or not taken on accreditation recommendations; and 3) identify results, strengths, and challenges of accreditation. This research base can guide improvements in these institutions and the North Central Association – Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) process. The population was 125 accredited schools in ten states, representing 96% of all NCA CASI accredited public, postsecondary institutions. Methods …

The Impact Of Millennials On Community College Instruction, Sandra C. Coyner, Nasser Razek

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

As a leader in serving diverse postsecondary student populations, the community college is renowned as a bastion for effective teaching and learning. Absorbing a growing number of traditional age college students, community colleges have witnessed a change in student characteristics. Such change is mainly characterized by the recent appearance of Millennial students. The Millennials’ increasing presence poses some instructional questions for college administrators and instructors. Should instructional techniques be altered to better meet the expectations of this new generation of postsecondary students? If so, what impact might those changes have on the nontraditional students? To answer these questions, perhaps the …

Teacher Perception About Implementation Strategy Of B.Ed Teaching Practice In Real School Classrooms: Issues And Challenges, Wasim Qazi, Khalid Jamil Rawat, Muhammad Yousuf Sharjeel, Shila Devi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Teaching practice is the core component of all pre-service teacher education programs. Through teaching practice, a novice teacher is assumed to have inculcated a supposedly viable pedagogic experience to transfer the core competency of the subject knowledge to students in real classroom situation. This study encompasses the challenges and issues that the novice teachers experience at post-training level of their B.Ed programme of studies. The investigations also enlighten the gaps that the trained teachers have shared with the researchers. The study highlights the extent to which the on-training components of teaching practice is reflected in the attitude of the trained …

A Synthetic Teaching-Learning Model: A Contextualized Study, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The paper aims at institutionalizing instructional technology with a view to improving the quality of education. The conceptual framework developed in this paper reviews the existing status of training programs in light of the suggested initiatives of education sectors reforms (Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan -August-2003). It has been argued that major purpose of imparting professional training to teachers and administrators should be directed towards improvement of quality of education. In stating the problem the malaise underlining the teaching-learning process has been identified as a core issue. The teaching-learning process which is the hallmark of quality of education has …

Sustainable Teachers' Development: Exploring The Effect Of Follow-Up Support An An Element, Wasim Qazi

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty and Staff Scholarship

A professional development program with built-in follow up support mechanism was offered during years 2004-06 in selected districts of Pakistan. The training reportedly had sustained impact on teachers’ attitude toward teaching. This paper investigates the role of follow up support as an element of sustainable teacher development, and the part of teachers’ learning they could have implemented over the period after the end of project. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews with these teachers and the head teachers of these schools, and analysis of lesson plans and reflective journals maintained by the teachers. Findings affirm that the follow up …

Koinonia, Kevin Johnson, Brent Ellis, Rebecca Sok, Carl Ruby, Benjamin Kulpa, Michael Santarosa, Stephanie Santarosa, Aaron Damiani, Laura M. Rodeheaver

Koinonia

Leadership Spotlight Features
Developing Servant Leaders: The Tale of Two Questions, Kevin Johnson

Life at the Cross Roads: Living out the Eternal in the Midst of the Temporal, Brent Ellis

Leadership Process vs. Results (Regardless of Culture, Country or Gender), Rebecca Sok

Leading During Times of Conflict: Lessons from the Early Church, Carl Ruby

From Fiction to Fact, Benjamin Kulpa

Thinking Theologically
Charismatic Boy Meets Reformed Girl, Michael and Stephanie Santarosa

Book Reviews
A Review of Integrity: The Courage to Face the Demands of Reality (by Henry Cloud), reviewed by Aaron Damiani

Leadership Can Be Taught (by Sharon Daloz Parks), …

Nate And The One Sixty-Eight, Michael S. Mcmillan

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the fate of 168 students who failed the Level 4 test at the American University Alumni (AUA) Language Center in Bangkok, Thailand. It examines enrollment trends of all Level 4 students during a one-year study period spanning 2006 and 2007, and reveals what happened to the students – who dropped out (and when), and who continued to study. It also examines why students might have dropped out. It then takes a critical look at certain aspects of the Level 4 test, explores what makes a test a “good” test, and recommends a series of improvements to AUA’s …

Catalogue 2008-2009, Bank Street College Of Education

Graduate School of Education

This course catalog from a past academic year is a resource for referring to previous course offerings, degree requirements, institutional policies, and more.

Bridgewater State College Factbook, 2007-2008, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment, Bridgewater State College

Factbook

No abstract provided.

Common Data Set, 2008-2009, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment, Bridgewater State College

Common Data Sets

No abstract provided.

Marginalized Students' Perspectives Of School Consolidation: A Case Study In Rural West Virginia, Betty A. Sias

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

While prior research provides evidence that school consolidation impacts student achievement, the economic efficiency at state and district levels, dropout rates, participation in extracurricular activities, curriculum offerings, and the length of bus rides, “little is known about what happens in consolidated schools to impact student learning,” (Blake, 2003, p. 21) and little attention has been given to studying students’ lived experiences of consolidation. This qualitative case study explored these issues by attempting to understand students’ transition to a consolidated high school, as well as their current experiences with and perceptions of consolidation in a rural community in West Virginia. The …

Student Performance With And Attitudes Toward Electronic Distributed Assessment In First-Year Composition Classes, Annette Arrigucci

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In Fall 2008, UTEP's composition department implemented a pilot program to test a redesign of English 1312, their second-semester freshman composition course. In addition to a redesigned curriculum, a system of electronic distributed assessment was implemented in ten sections of English 1312. Instead of the traditional format of a class where instructors grade all student assignments, a group of teaching assistants graded student writing anonymously using standardized grading rubrics. The system, which has been used at Texas Tech University since 2002, was put in place at UTEP in order to enhance efficiency and consistency in the teaching of this course. …

Kctcs Student Success: An Outcome Analysis Of Kctcs First-Time Freshmen Entering Fall 2001, Billie Hardin

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement

Since its creation in 1997, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) has excelled in many areas of its open enrollment or open access mission. Yet, many KCTCS students do not persist to graduate with a credential or transfer to a 4-year postsecondary institution. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), reports that of the fall 2001 students who entered KCTCS colleges, only 50.2 percent earned a degree, transferred to a 4-year college or university, or were still enrolled in a KCTCS college within three years. CPE further reports that more than half of Kentucky’s 2004 entering …

Becoming A Teacher In The Developing World, Ayesha Bashiruddin, John Retallick

Books

No abstract provided.

Schoolyard Improvements And Standardized Test Scores: An Ecological Analysis, Russ Lopez, Richard Campbell, James Jennings

Gastón Institute Publications

Boston MA’s schoolyards had seriously deteriorated since the middle of the 20th century resulting in dangerous and unusable outdoor spaces. Beginning in the mid 1990s, a program to renovate these schoolyards has resulted in approximately half of the schools now having outdoor recreational, learning and garden spaces. This study compared the 4th grade test score results in renovated vs. unrenovated schools. Controlling for school demographics, schools that had a renovated schoolyard had more of their students passed the state mandated math test (1.06, 95% confidence interval = .00012, .12). Effects on the state mandated English language arts test were not …

The Impact Of Professional Development On Assessment And Grading Practices For Secondary Teachers, Nicole Lynn Roorda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies suggest that a potential misalignment between assessment and grading practices in reporting secondary student academic achievement has negatively impacted students since grades may not truly reflect actual achievement. Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to compare secondary teachers' use of academic and nonacademic factors when reporting student achievement before and after professional development on assessment and grading practices. Following change theory, the study investigated the efficacy of employing professional development as a means of influencing more standard and appropriate practices among secondary teachers with regard to using academic and nonacademic factors when employing standards-based reporting to determine …

The Impact Of A Professional Learning Community On Student Achievement, Brandon S. Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional learning communities (PLC) have the potential to strengthen students' academic achievement. An academic pyramid of interventions, one aspect of PLCs, may be especially helpful in schools where subgroups of students are underperforming relative to other students on standardized testing. This quantitative, one-group, pretest-posttest study examined the impact of implementing an academic pyramid of interventions as part of a PLC on middle school student academic achievement. The 100 students from grade 7 and 8 who participated in the study were identified by teachers as being at-risk for success on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The reading and math test …

The Effects Of Teacher Race In The Elementary School On Student Achievement Test Scores, John Stortz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The racial and gender composition of elementary school teachers does not match those of the students and this may be contributing to an inequity of achievement scores between African American and European American students. This ex post facto causal comparative study compared three levels of elementary school diversity personnel staffing on Grade 4 African American student Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores and differences between male African American scores and female African American scores in a suburban Atlanta county. Nine intentionally selected elementary schools were chosen representing 3 racial diversity personnel staffing levels including 39% to 50%, 25% to 27%, and …

In The Name Of Educational Research, Shafqat Hussain

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Developing Research And Scholarship At Aku-Ied: Possibilities And Challenges, Anjum Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.