Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Koinonia, Larry Crabb, Jesse Brown, Steven M. Conn, Michael Santarosa, Stephanie Santarosa, Steve Ivester, Kyle Lantz, Nathan Geer, Andrew D. Rowell

Koinonia

Spotlight Features
Sovereign Stumbling: My Life Journey to Date, Larry Crabb

Conversations About Racism, Jessie Brown

Anxiety: A Growing Problem in College Students, Steven M. Conn

Thinking Theologically
Teaching the Truth, Michael and Stephanie Santarosa

Book Reviews
Kingdom Triangle: Recover the Christian Mind, Renovate the Soul, Restore the Spirit's Power (by J.P. Moreland), reviewed by Steve Ivester

The Soul of a Christian University: A Field Guide for Educators (edited by Stephen T. Beers), reviewed by Kyle Lantz

The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfullness (by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby), reviewed by Nathan Geer

I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics …

Perceived Leadership Practices Of Female Superintendents In North Carolina, Deardre J. Gibson

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to add to the general existing body of literature which examines women's work lives as North Carolina school superintendents. This study investigated the perceived leadership practices of North Carolina female superintendents during the 2008-2009 school year. According to the literature on female superintendents, women comprise the majority of teaching positions, but are underrepresented in the top leadership position in U.S. public schools. Gender inequality and barriers to the superintendency for women may account for disparities among women in the position. The provision of this study may serve to enlighten women who may aspire to the superintendency, …

An Analysis Of The Connection Between A Principal Development Program And Executive Leadership, David (Jay) Jones

Education Dissertations and Projects

America faces the following problems related to the supply of school principals: shortage, poor understanding of the changed role, and inadequate training. In response to problems, the state of North Carolina has implemented the School Executive Standards to evaluate principals and drive the professional development of them. The purpose of this descriptive study was to report on the perceptions of principals and assistant principals regarding the connection between a district level principal development program and preparation to meet the "North Carolina School Executive Standards". A sequential QUAN-QUAL analysis was applied to data collected through a survey and individual interviews. Measures …

An Analysis Of The Perceived Effects Of The Welsh Inclusion Model On The Academic Growth Of Special Needs Learners In A North Carolina Elementary School, Stephen Ray Pickard

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the implementation of the Welsh Inclusion Model at a Title I elementary school in grades 4 through 5 in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. The researcher visited the Title I school, which was embarking in only its second year in the implementation of the Welsh Inclusion Model. During these visits, the researcher interviewed the principal, the Director of Elementary Education, and two inclusion teams. The entire group participated in a focus group interview. The surveys, interviews, ITTAP, and Co-Teaching rubric provided data that were triangulated to determine how well …

Program Evaluation: The Effects Of A District-Led Leadership Preparation Program On Aspiring School Leaders, Tammra Bethune Reel

Education Dissertations and Projects

The researcher of the dissertation evaluated a district-led school leadership preparation program using Stufflebeam's (2003) Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model for program evaluation. The study had a management-oriented approach to program evaluation because it will enable effective decision making regarding the program's design. In addition, the program evaluation took a formative approach as program characteristics were analyzed and collaboration with program participants occurred in order to determine which aspects of the Administrative Mentoring Program (AMP) were most beneficial to those directly involved.

Data for the study were obtained through the processes of a researcher-created participant survey and personal …

Evaluating The Impact Of The Beginning Teacher Induction Program On The Retention Rate Of Beginning Teachers, Monica Lynn Shepherd

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the Teacher Induction Program of a rural school system in North Carolina. The effects of mentor assignment, ongoing staff development, master teacher observation opportunities, structured reflection and self-assessment, and other support offered at the system level to beginning teachers on the retention rate of beginning teachers in the school system were analyzed.

The researcher determined 10 themes based on the objectives of the school system's Beginning Teacher Support Program: improving beginning teachers' skills and performance; supporting teacher morale; communications; collegiality; building a sense of professionalism and positive attitude; facilitating a smooth transition into the …

The Effects Of Teacher Stability On Third Grade Student Achievement As Measured By The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests In Reading And Mathematics, Juddson W. Starling

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the effects of teacher stability on student achievement as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and mathematics for third grade students. The perceptions of third grade teachers and elementary school principals concerning issues with teacher stability were also examined. Accountability for public schools in North Carolina has driven educators to find ways to increase student achievement. Teacher stability is a variable that can be controlled by educators in an attempt to increase student achievement.

The writer gathered test data from a target school district and analyzed test scores by the number …

Novice Superintendents And The Efficacy Of Professional Preparation, Theodore J. Kowalski, George J. Petersen, Lance D. Fusarelli

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The preparation of superintendents is a critical component and essential element of systemic education reform. However, Cooper, Fusarelli, Jackson, and Poster (2002) remind us that, ―the process is rife with difficulties‖ (p. 242), including synchronization of preparation and actual practice, the theory-practice disconnect, the need for life-long learning, and development of an adequate knowledge base.

In light of these complexities, two facts are especially noteworthy: The vast majority of research on the efficacy of administrator preparation programs has focused on the principalship (Kowalski, 2006b), and most doctoral programs in educational administration have de facto become preparation programs for superintendents, even …

Campus Crisis Management: A Comprehensive Guide To Planning, Prevention, Response, And Recovery, S. Nicole Hoefle

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Schooled Heart: Moral Formation In American Higher Education, D. Andrew Parker, Kimberly S. Parker

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Contributing Factors To Persistence Among African-American And Hispanic Students In Higher Education: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study At A Diverse Small Institution On The East Coast, W. Bernt King

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The purpose for this phenomenological study is to understand the persistence of academically successful African-American and Hispanic students in an ethnically diverse higher education context where services and support targeting minority students do not formally exist. The research for this study has been conducted on campuses where the student body demographics are largely mono-ethnic. It would seem that as institutions of higher education become increasingly diverse, contributing factors to success for students of color may change. Themes that emerged include having a spiritual perspective, having a sense of purpose or the big picture, having support from family, having support from …

Residential Learning Communities: Facilitating Seamless Learning, Polly Graham

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Research has shown that residential learning communities positively affect student outcomes. This study looked at the literature, finding a basis for this trend and uncovering the current impact residential learning communities are having on higher education. This study sought to challenge Christian higher education administrators and faculty to consider whether residential learning communities fit within their institution’s mission and vision.

Student Affairs Reconsidered: A Look Back, A Response To Barry Loy, David M. Johnstone

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

On the tenth anniversary of David Guthrie’s Student Affairs: Reconsidered (SAR), Barry Loy wrote an article entitled: “Student Affairs Reconsidered: A Look Back.” He observed, after identifying a number of seminal works, that many in Christian Student Development have not really engaged or grappled with what it means to be an educator outside of the classroom. In letter format, I have chosen to interact with Barry in his observations with the hope that this is a conversation which is not ignored or forgotten by our colleagues. My purpose is not to disagree but continue the conversation which was started a …

The Church: A Salient Support System For African-American College Students, Odelet Nance

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This article builds on a previous qualitative study examining the role of religion in the lives of five African-American college students at a Predominately White Institution (PWI). Through a constructivist lens, the stories of first-year students revealed how their church informed their college experiences. This article describes how churches provided support for students through the theoretical frameworks illustrated by Alexander Astin, Jacqueline Mattis, and Robert Jagers. Churches and Predominately White Institutions are encouraged to form partnerships to strengthen and enhance support systems for African-American college students.

Research has shown that having an effective support system affects social and academic integration …

Assessment Of Living Learning Communities: Models For Campus Collaboration, Anita Henck, Jeffrey Jones

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens After High School, Donald D. Optiz

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Fostering Student Success In The Campus Community, Mary Ann Searle

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Education's End: Why Our Colleges And Universities Have Given Up On The Meaning Of Life, Leslie C. Poe

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The State Of The University: Academic Knowledges And The Knowledge Of God, David S. Guthrie

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Passionate Intellect: Incarnational Humanism And The Future Of University Education, David M. Johnstone

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Deeper Learning In Leadership: Helping College Students Find The Potential Within, Kathryn A. Tuttle

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Small College Dean: New Directions For Student Services, No. 116, Mark J. Troyer

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Moral Idea Of A University: A Case Study, Todd C. Ream, Perry L. Glanzer

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

A common moral idea is necessary for not only providing shape to a particular college or university community but also for the cultivation of the virtues amongst students. However, what are the characteristics of an institution that models this type of approach? In order to answer this question, this article describes what we believe is the best exemplar from our study of 156 different Christian colleges and universities. Such a determination was made based upon an analysis of documents (academic catalogs, admissions view books, and student handbooks) gathered from all 156 institutions and then site visits made to nine institutions …

Growth No. 8 (2009) - Full Issue

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the eighth edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

The First Year: A Journey Of Meaning, Formation, And Substance, Brad A. Lau

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Excellence Without A Soul: How A Great University Forgot Education, Rebecca A. Owen

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Coming Together: The Pros And Cons Of School Consolidation, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The viability and acceptability of consolidation— combining two or more school buildings or districts into a single entity—have ebbed and flowed over the years. In the early 1900s, the main targets of school consolidation were the rural schools. The education leaders and policy makers of the time believed that a centralized model in which all schools looked alike would prove to be the best approach for educating youth to be productive citizens (Kay, Hargood, and Russell 1982).

In addition to providing an expanded curriculum, they believed, consolidated schools could be operated more efficiently and economically—an idea that has continued to …

The Principal's Role In Teacher Retention, Sametra Danyal Chisolm

Dissertations

As efforts are made to identify factors contributing to teachers leaving or staying in the teaching profession, teacher retention continues to pose a challenge for school administrators. Factors such as principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs seem to positively impact teachers' decisions to remain in the profession.

The purpose of this study was to gather data to determine whether principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs affect teacher retention. A questionnaire, adapted from the Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education (formally Charlotte Advocates for Education) research …

First-First Year Academically Underprepared Students' Judgments Of Their Perceived Academic Advising Needs And Preferences And Their Level Of Satisfaction And Intention To Persist At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Jennifer Lorean Ducksworth

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine which of the two dominant advising approaches, prescriptive (advisor focused) or developmental (relational focused), academically underprepared students preferred and to determine if this student population's advising relationships, experiences, and activities contribute to their level of satisfaction and their intent to persist at the participating university the following semester.

To read the full abstract of this dissertation, please click on "download" in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

Training School Psychology Graduate Students To Address Regional Shortages: A Distance Learning Model, Susan C. Davies, Julie Q. Morrison, Sawyer Hunley

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Addressing the shortages of school psychologists in underserved regions of the country is critical to the profession and the communities served by its members. This article describes a school psychology satellite training program using a hybrid approach combining distance learning technologies and face-to-face classroom meetings. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of sixteen graduate students in a rural, Appalachian region of Ohio as members of the first two cohorts enrolled in the school psychology satellite program.