Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Reforms In Relation To Research-Based Theories Resulting In Successful Test Results, Veronica Renee Christian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study school in Bibb County, Georgia had a passing rate of approximately 60% on 9th grade literature and composition End of Course Tests (EOCT). An instructional paradigm was needed to help provide quality instruction and facilitate students' efforts to meet the mandate for performance. Research supports differentiated instruction (DI), instructional technology (IT), Gardner's multiple intelligences, and Vygotsky's theory of constructivism as the foundation for quality instruction. This ex post facto study used a cluster sample to explore 2 questions. One research questions explored the effect of DI enhanced with IT on students' learning in 9th grade literature and composition …

Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 …

The Relationship Between Science Curriculum Aligned To Common Core State Standards And Scientific Literacy, Amber Lee Struthers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supporting the development of scientifically literate students is a priority in public school education, and understanding how that development is influenced by the Common Core State Standards is vital to quality science education. However, little quantitative research has been conducted about how the Common Core State Standards impact science education. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine how the alignment of science curriculum and instruction to the Common Core English Language Arts State Standards impacts the development of students' scientific literacy skills. Bybee's framework for scientific literacy provided the theoretical framework. Participants included 7 middle school students in …

Complete Issue, Volume 34, Issue 2

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 34, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Academic Coaching, Student Engagement, And Instructor Best Practices, Jainie Denisse Miranda Martinez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic coaching has demonstrated positive relationships with college students' academic engagement and performance. A university campus in Puerto Rico implemented academic coaching for at-risk students, but the program has not been studied for its impact on student engagement. Guided by self-regulation theory and constructivism, this quasi-experimental study examined differences in engagement and identification of best teaching behaviors between students who experienced academic coaching (n = 115) and those who did not (n = 55). Students completed the Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) before and after the 4-week instructional unit and the Instructor Behavior Checklist (IBC) after the instructional unit. …

Improving Math Performance In Adult Female Community College Students: An Evaluation Of Project Independence, Robin Tim Frodsham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project Independence (PI) is a community college immersion program dedicated to assisting women returning to college. The focus of this study and associated summative evaluation was to understand how the PI program addresses anxiety and other learning deficiencies associated with math. Knowle's andragogical models portray adults as motivated and self-directed, and the American college campus fosters a culture of independence. This culture is foreign to many minority, first-generation, and working class adults who learn through interdependence. This qualitative instrumental case study and evaluation is the first to examine the efficacy of PI. The guiding questions of this study concern early …

Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …

An Evaluation Of Military Education Assistance Programs From Participants Perspectives, Ella Bolling-Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Evaluation of Military Education Assistance Programs From ParticipantsF Perspectives

by

Ella Bolling-Harris

MS, Capella University, 2008

MS, Capella University, 2004

BS, Park University, 2000

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

August 2015

Military education programs exist to assist military members in completing their college education prior to exiting the military. At a southwestern United States Army Installation, members have expressed dissatisfaction with the education programs. The purpose of this case study was to examine the education programs from the participants' perspectives. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was used …

K-5 Elementary Balanced Literacy Reading Program Implementation Evaluation, Suzanne Marie Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who struggle with reading in their elementary years are likely to make poor academic progress, leave school before graduation, and struggle in the workplace. The district leaders at 24 K-5 elementary schools in a large Midwestern district were interested in a formative reading program evaluation to determine reading program effectiveness. This mixed methods study, approached from a cognitive and social theoretical framework, was a formative evaluation of the Balanced Literacy Reading Program implementation at these elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to capture the K-5 classroom teachers' (n = 113), instructional coaches' (n = 18), and principals' …

The Influence Of School Leadership Practices On Classroom Management, School Environment, And Academic Underperformance, Lorna Novlette Wilson Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Influence of School Leadership Practices on Classroom Management, School Environment, and Academic Underperformance

by

Lorna Novlette Wilson Morgan

MSc, Florida International University, 2006

BSc, University of Technology, 2000

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Walden University

April 2015

School leadership requires the collaborative efforts of principals, teachers, parents, students, and other community members to achieve academic success. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the influence of school leadership practices on classroom management, school environment, and academic underperformance in Jamaica. The research was based upon distributive leadership theory. …

Review Of Children's Rights 0-8: Promoting Participation In Education And Care By M. Kanyal, Lori Imasiku

Faculty Publications

The book Children’s Right’s 0-8 discusses the right to participate in education and decision making for young children. The title itself was somewhat unclear as the book limited the discussion of children’s rights to participation and one must only assume that the 0- 8 is in reference to the age of children. Though the title itself is unclear, the contents of the book are well developed and can be a useful tool for those who work with young children as caregivers or educators. The theoretical development of child participation makes this a book suitable resource for researchers and scholars.