Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Teachers' Perceptions Of Mandated Curriculum: Common Core State Standards, Ruth Hirsch

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to describe and analyze the perceptions of intermediate, middle, and high school teachers regarding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A triangulation method was used to collect data and analyze from interviews, observations, and artifacts from the three districts in the study. Teachers’ perspectives, personal views, and receptiveness as they related to the implementation of the CCSS within their districts were investigated. The interviews, observations, and artifacts were coded and analyzed for common themes and patterns. The findings revealed that although the teachers were hopeful that future students would be more comfortable …

Exploring Ways To Support Teachers’ Use Of Instructional Practices: A Principal’S Action Research Investigation, Sheila E. Fitzgerald

Dissertations

This study investigated the role of the school administrator in helping teachers to use instructional practices that led to improved student learning outcomes. The data indicated that teachers were comfortable learning from other teacher-leaders in the school. Teachers responded favorably to opportunities to participate in collegial observation and being provided specific feedback to stimulate growth. The study also confirmed that teachers looked to the school administrator to provide necessary resources and funding for professional development opportunities. Teachers need to be provided ongoing opportunities to learn and grow together through meaningful grade-level team meeting. This study took place during the 2010- …

Action Research Study On The Gradual Release Of Responsibility, Critical Thinking Skills And Use Of Intertextuality In A Midwest Suburban High School Setting, Donna Canan

Dissertations

In this study, a high school teacher’s applied various pedagogical, critical thinking, and reading strategies within a high school classroom. As students prepare to become productive members of a democratic society in the 21st century, some students need focused literacy instruction to meet the increasing literacy demands; students who lag behind in critical thinking have a disadvantage. This teacher’s action research study with struggling high school readers investigated whether implementing the pedagogical Gradual Release of Responsibility model (GRR) while engaging students with intertextual texts (juxtaposing two or more texts) within a reading community increased their critical thinking skills. The participants …

Evaluating The Implementation Process Of A New Math Program: Math In Focus, Suzette Pfanstiel

Dissertations

Mathematics is an indispensable skill. Mathematical reasoning occurs when a person is taught the basic foundations during the elementary school years. With the pressures following implementation of Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top, school districts are tried not only to raise their state test scores, but also to prepare, strengthen, and empower educators to feel confident in their ability to instruct mathematics effectively. The Singapore approach to teaching math was the innovative program that created higher math scores in school districts in the United States. The country of Singapore, after developing this approach became the world’s leader …

A Metaevaluation Of School Counseling Program Evaluations, Saeed Mohammed Almueed

Dissertations

School counseling programs have been recognized as an educational component that ultimately benefits student achievement at most developmental stages. Comprehensive school counseling programs are executed in alliance with a specific school counseling model, such as the Comprehensive Developmental Guidance model, or more recently, The American School Counselor Association National Model (ASCA, 2003, 2005, 2012). Although the school counseling literature reports positive outcomes associated with comprehensive school counseling programs, there are still challenges in their implementation and evaluation. Program evaluation as stressed in The ASCA National Model is to confirm the effectiveness and value of these programs and interventions. Yet, the …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement And Professional Learning Communities At The Middle School Level, Michael S. Burde

Dissertations

For nearly two decades, schools throughout the United States and beyond have utilized the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model to foster teacher collaboration in hopes of improving student achievement outcomes. At the turn of the century, much of the research suggested a positive relationship between student achievement outcomes and the implementation of PLC’s in the school setting. The more recent research suggests little to no relationship between PLC’s and student achievement outcomes.

In an effort to bring clarity to the conflicting research, data was collected from a sample of 12 schools which included 275 teachers and nearly 6,000 students. Teacher …

School Readiness Of First Grade Charter School Students: An Evaluation Of An Early Childhood Program, Dr Shandowlyon L. Hendricks-Williams

Dissertations

This program evaluation studied the effectiveness of an early childhood program as it relates to school readiness. The early childhood program of a charter school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had been operating for over thirty without an evaluation of its effectiveness. To examine the effectiveness of the early childhood program, seventy-two students were evaluated using a teacher-developed First Grade Readiness Checklist; the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Test and Success for All (SFA) Assessment. School readiness, as a multifaceted construct, included five domains: academic, behavioral, emotional, social and self-help-skills.

The results of the survey indicate that the early childhood program …

Crowd Sourced Product Reviews: A Study Of Evaluation Standards Used, Alexander W. Manga

Dissertations

People are using online product reviews and evaluations more and more (Chandler et al., 2013). As the usage of online reviews persists and more smart phone applications are created, the demand for online product review continues to increase; yet, there is no indication of the quality of these reviews. In fact, some online reviews have been found to be fraudulent and misleading. Many online product reviews come from Internet-based crowdsource organizations. Few studies have explored evaluation practices among these organizations, and as a result, it is unclear what, if any, evaluation standards are used by crowdsource reviewers, particularly those found …

Applying Andragogical Principles To Corporate Medical Sales Training, Benjamin C. Washington Ii

Dissertations

This qualitative action research study investigated how to apply andragogical principles to corporate medical sales training. The study stemmed from a practitioner’s concern that instructional methodologies may be insufficient for the learning needs of medical sales representatives in the post-2008 recession climate, which was requiring greater return on investment and performance accountability. The phenomenon of sales representatives being in the field one day and the next day being deemed ‘trainers’ exposed several gaps in sales training programs primarily originating from instructor deficiencies in curriculum development, instructional design, and weakness in application of adult learning methodologies. Andragogy, a learning theory on …

A Case Study Into The Perception Of World Language Study Of All Stakeholders In A Suburban Midwest School District, Michael L. Crowell

Dissertations

The 21st century perception of students and stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff, etc.) within the realm of world language study in a Midwestern, suburban school district varied sometime subtly and sometimes greatly. No particular study had been done to indicate what inspired students to enroll in world language, other than conjecture from students and stakeholders. To discover the true perception of students and stakeholders within this particular school district, a case study was conducted. A survey was crafted utilizing a tool that focused on language perception with relation to motivation, learning process, relevance, progress, and relationships. Each population …

Rubrics As A Tool For Reaching Explicitly Evaluative Conclusions: Implications For Evaluation Theory, Training, And Practice, Krystin S. R. Martens

Dissertations

Evaluation is the systematic determination of merit, worth, or significance. A core professional evaluator competency is to provide transparent and explicit evaluative conclusions. Yet, “understanding the reasoning process to establish evaluative conclusions drawn in practice has to be the field’s greatest unmet challenge” (Fournier, 1995, p. 1). This three-article dissertation studies rubrics as a tool that can assist in meeting the stated challenge when used by program evaluators to reach explicitly evaluative conclusions.

Study 1 provides an account of the history and etymology of the term rubric and provides an analysis of peer-reviewed program evaluation literature, specific to the extent …

The Experience Of Teachers And Deans In An Intensive Weekly Observation/Feedback Model, Kathleen A. Grinwis

Dissertations

This phenomenological study looked at the lived experiences of 12 teachers and deans participating in an intensive weekly observation/feedback model in several charter school academies. In this model, teachers and deans work to grow as educators and to reach their professional development goals. While we know that a major factor in increasing the proficiency rate of our students is improving teacher effectiveness, not as much is known about how to provide the necessary guidance for teachers’ professional growth and efficacy development. The challenge for leaders is to develop effective systems of supervision that support teachers and administrators as they work …

A Quantitative Study Of International School Working Conditions And Learning Environments In Relation To Student Achievement, Melissa Allen

Dissertations

With an increased focus on global competition, many educators and policymakers relied on international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to evaluate the ability of their education system to prepare students for the global economy. Students in the United States continued to demonstrate disappointing results on the PISA, which led to an outcry by American educators and policymakers and a call for reform. To lessen the achievement gap between the United States and other countries, experts suggested the importance of identifying the characteristics of high performing countries and adapting effective policies to fit the needs of …

Applying Andragogical Principles To Corporate Medical Sales Training, Benjamin C. Washington

Dissertations

This qualitative action research study investigated how to apply andragogical principles to corporate medical sales training. The study stemmed from a practitioner’s concern that instructional methodologies may be insufficient for the learning needs of medical sales representatives in the post-2008 recession climate, which was requiring greater return on investment and performance accountability. The phenomenon of sales representatives being in the field one day and the next day being deemed ‘trainers’ exposed several gaps in sales training programs primarily originating from instructor deficiencies in curriculum development, instructional design, and weakness in application of adult learning methodologies. Andragogy, a learning theory on …

The Evaluation Of The Outcomes Of Work Ethic Curriculum: A Report On The Perceptions From Faculty And Students, John E. Wood

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the work ethic attitudes and behaviors of entering Ethos freshmen to students who were about to graduate. Data was collected by two means, first by using the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) instrument and the second by analyzing existing work ethic grades issued by faculty. The dependent variables were the seven dimensions of work ethic in the MWEP and the five Ethos work ethic traits. The population for this study consisted of members of the freshman and graduating classes from the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years. A purposive sample was taken from …

Using Rtp (Responsible Thinking Process) As A Lever For Improving School Culture: A Case Study Of An Alternative Secondary School’S Implementation Of Rtp, Andrew D. Rynberg

Dissertations

There is an urgent need to improve our K-12 system. How to implement and sustain educational change, however, is a challenge facing the K-12 arena. This qualitative case study was intended to examine a six-year educational change initiative in one alternative secondary school. The study helped us gain knowledge on implementing and sustaining educational change by addressing the following three research questions:

1. What were the staff members’ descriptions of disciplinary issues before and after the RTP intervention?

2. Based on staff descriptions, what were the factors associated with the successful implementation of the RTP program?

3. Based on staff …

The Influence Of Building Configuration On Academic Achievement, Attendance, And Demographic Variables In Selected Midwestern School Districts, Catherine A. Macarthur

Dissertations

This study examined the influence of building configuration on the academic achievement and attendance of students who were considered chronically absent. A longitudinal nonequivalent groups research design was used to test the study’s six hypotheses. Data were collected from over 10,000 students within 38 K-8 schools and 40 6-8 middle schools in 24 urban school districts. These districts belonged to the Middle Cities Education Association (MCEA) in a Midwestern state. Student achievement data were collected from this state’s Department of Education’s Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) database that focused specifically on 6th (2009) and 8th-grade (2011) achievement and …

Improving Teacher Comfort Levels And Self-Efficacy With Technology Integration And Application Of Technology Into The Elementary Education Curriculum Through The Tech Buddy Program, Susan Christine Adams

Dissertations

Professional Development for technology integration into the elementary curriculum has been a costly and frequently ineffective endeavor. The idea for the Tech Buddy model came from this frustration. Teaming a teacher who had high comfort and self-efficacy levels with technology, however who still had much to learn, together with a teacher who was willing to learn, but had low comfort and self-efficacy levels seemed natural. The study consisted of 13 educators and one Administrative Intern from the school of study. The study paired a mentor who had a high level of comfort and self efficacy with ICT integration with a …

An Evaluation Of An Adaptive Learning Tool In An Introductory Business Course, Tim A. Rogers

Dissertations

Adding technology to the classroom has been an instructional strategy used by many higher-education institutions to increase student success, but merely adding computers, multimedia devices, and other technology to the classroom with pedagogical arbitrariness has proven to have little effect. The purpose of this study was to determine if using the adaptive learning technology (ALT) tool, LearnSmart, in seated introductory business courses would result in a statistically significant difference in unit exam scores, to analyze changes in exam performance through different time increments used of the ALT, and to investigate correlations between the student’s metacognition in the ALT module and …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Multiple Case Studies Of The Perception Of School Social Workers Concerning Their Roles In Public Schools, Alesha Nicole Morrison

Dissertations

This qualitative exploration in the form of multiple case studies interviewed a group of seven social workers from the St. Louis Metropolitan area to gain their perception as school social workers concerning their roles in public schools. The literature on school social workers indicated that school social workers brought unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the student services team. School social workers were instrumental in furthering the vision of the schools to help provide an improved setting and environment for teaching and learning. This study conducted case studies of the social worker in the professional environment to …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Flipped Classroom And Traditional Classroom Student Engagement And Teaching Methodologies, Michael T. Holik

Dissertations

Studies exist on the effectiveness of learning in a flipped classroom learning setting; however, there is limited research available regarding the success or failure rates of flipped classroom learning in technical culinary arts programs. This study, using an action-based research approach, was designed to gather evidence from a technical education program to determine if students perform better in the flipped classroom or traditional classroom. Multiple instruments were designed to gather information about the culinary flipped classroom format. Instructor and student perceptions about the learning in each type of classroom were explored, levels of student engagement were recorded, and final course …

A Mixed-Method Program Implementation: Overcoming Obstacles Life Skills Program In A Medium-Sized Suburban School District, Jennifer Gross

Dissertations

While many educators viewed transition as a one-time event, it often proved to be more of a process than simply an occasion (Cohen & Smerdon, 2009). The researcher observed through the role as a school counselor that students with high anxiety tended to exhibit low resilience during times of transition. In order to assist students as they moved from eighth to ninth grade, the school of study implemented the Overcoming Obstacles Life Skills Program (OOLSP) using student mentors. This study explored student perception of anxiety and resilience in relation to participating in this program. The researcher utilized the Connor-Davidson Resilience …

Traditional And Hybrid Dental Assisting Program: An Exploration Of Design And Optimal Outcomes For Community College Students, Janet A. Sell

Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate an accredited dental assisting educational program at a Midwest community college. The Bureau of Labor of Statistics (2015) claimed the profession of dental assisting is one of the fastest growing occupation, along with ongoing research that good oral health is linked to overall general health, thereby increasing the need for more dental assistants in the workforce. The aim of this study was to determine if dental assisting students taking courses in a face-to-face traditional format performed differently from students taking courses in a hybrid (a combination of face-to face and online) format. The researcher …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Academic Achievement And Educational Growth Of U.S.-Born Hispanic Students In A Midwestern Spanish Language Immersion Program, Herlinda Arlene Galve Salgado

Dissertations

Elementary Spanish language immersion programs have become more popular in the educational field in the United States to support the academic achievement of minority students. The final goal of immersion programs is to develop proficiency in the home language and dominant language, identified as first language (L1) and second language (L2), to impact the understanding of academic concepts. This study explores teachers’ perspectives of U.S.-born ELL Hispanic students’ academic achievement and educational growth in a Spanish language immersion program. Ultimately, the study aimed to identify processes that educational leaders could incorporate into instructional models to improve as many Hispanic students’ …

Team Captain: A Quantitative Study Examining The Relationship Between Extracurricular And/Or Co-Curricular Participation And Leadership Styles Of Beginning Superintendents, Shawn Poyser

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study was conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between extracurricular and/or co-curricular participation and leadership styles of beginning superintendents in the state of Missouri. First-year superintendents from 63 school districts in Missouri were invited to participate in the study, and 28 participated. The first instrumentation used in the research was a Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X Short Form, created by Bass and Avolio (2004), consisting of 45 leadership style questions and was administered online through Mind Garden, Ltd. In addition to the MLQ 5X-Short, participants were invited to complete a second survey created by the researcher, …

The Relationship Between Students’ Achievement Scores Of Administrators Who Completed The Missouri Leadership, Excellence, And Development Program, Tina Turner

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to examine the impact of Missouri Leadership for Excellence, Achievement, and Development (MoLEAD) program on the school district administrators who attended and their constituents. After three cohorts of school leaders have attended the MoLEAD training, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education authorities have yet to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The purpose of this study was to determine the value and benefit of administrators attending the MoLEAD professional development. The participants of this study included school administrators who attended MoLEAD training in Cohort One in the state of Missouri. Data from the …

The Learning Needs Of Community College Emerging Scholars, Janet K. Walsh

Dissertations

The community college mission has always centered on providing higher education opportunities for all people (American Association of Community Colleges [AACC], 2015a; Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015; Dassance, 2011; Dotzler, 2003; Greenburg, 2008; Schuh, Jones, Harper, & Associates, 2011). However, many students who enrolled at the community college level were not college ready and often required developmental coursework to help bridge the knowledge gap prior to taking college level courses. Unfortunately, those students were unlikely to obtain higher education credentials (Bailey et al., 2015; Carnegie Foundation, 2014). On the other hand, the researcher observed a relatively small number of students …

A Quantitative Study On Student Emergency Financial Assistance: The Impact On Community College Student Success, Persistence, And Completion Rates, Abigail Benz

Dissertations

Financial instability is a common fiscal burden for many community college students and can serve as primary barrier to educational success (Quaye & Harper, 2015). Although traditional financial aid is structured to assist students in financing college expenses, many low-income students often face financial emergencies beyond the scope of financial aid (Johnson, 2015). These financial emergencies have been specifically identified as serious obstacles to educational success and have prompted many institutions to establish student emergency financial assistance programs (Geckeler, Beach, Pih, & Yan, 2008). This study explored one student emergency financial assistance program at a public community college and the …

Missouri Public School Administrators’ Perceived Effectiveness Of Senate Bill No. 75, Joby B. Steele

Dissertations

In this quantitative study, the perceptions of safety and preparedness of Missouri’s high school administrators after participating in active shooter training as mandated by Missouri’s Senate Bill No. 75 were analyzed. As school shootings continue, states have passed legislation to prepare schools to provide safety for students and faculty members (Shah, 2013b). There are currently limited data about the perceived effectiveness of Missouri’s Senate Bill No. 75 and its ability to help administrators feel safe and prepared in the event of an active shooter. This study involved examination of what schools can do to prepare for a school shooting before …

The Impact Of Secondary Career And Technical Education On Postsecondary Career And Educational Placement, Roy Allen Moss

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to provide evidence of the impact career and technical education courses have on students after graduation. Numbers of Career and Technical Education (CTE) completers have continually dropped at the participating schools for the past five years. Five categories of placement after graduation were studied including the following: college, employment, postsecondary vocational training, military, and no placement. Archival data were gathered from postgraduate surveys conducted by high schools as required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Data were collected for graduates in 2011, 2012, and 2013 from four area high schools that …