Improving Equity Through Master Scheduling, Allison Degregory, Craig Sommer

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

A real and measurable gap exists in our country, and our educational system has served to increase this gap. Our system has failed to provide equitable access to advanced coursework for Black and Hispanic students. Implementing a deliberate and strategic system for scheduling high school students will provide historically underrepresented student groups equitable access to college credit and college-level courses. Quantitative research will determine how such an approach impacts high school students at an urban district in the southeastern United States when principals, and principal supervisors, create systems to schedule students equitably.

Clear and present gaps exist in the rate …

Scaffolding Middle And High School Students’ Engineering Design Experiences: Quality Problem-Scopeing Promoting Successful Solutions, Andrew Hughes, Cameron Denson

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

Highly proficient expert engineers begin the iterative process of design by thoroughly investigating the design problem. Engineering students are often distracted by surface details, leading to a faulty conception of the problem and inappropriate solution strategies. Adequate problem-scoping is arguably the most important step in the design process. To address this issue, the researchers developed an instructional framework to help teachers scaffold students’ cognitive and metacognitive processes during the problem-scoping phase of a design challenge. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the impact that scaffolded instruction related to the SCOPE process had on students’ solution success during …

Instructional Coaching: A Way To Improve Teacher Pedagogy And Students’ Achievements, Allison Coalwell

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As students' assessment scores in the United States continue on a downward trend, school districts across the nation seek ways to improve the quality of instruction. A proven strategy to enhance teacher quality, and subsequently student achievement, is to provide educators with professional development opportunities. A teacher training approach gaining momentum in schools involves instructional coaching as a practice with promise to increase students' achievement. This study examined the Instructional Coaching Program of a secondary school where students made significant academic gains to explicitly define the instructional coaching model that improved teacher pedagogy and increased students' achievement. In addition, this …

Teachers’ Experiences Of A District’S Transformational Leadership Design Program: A Qualitative Study, Jarit Unrau

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Facing the rapidly changing 21st-century education, educational organizations strive for innovative ideas to continuously motivate their teachers to enhance student performance. iLead is a district’s pioneering attempt to incorporate transformational leadership's essential elements, the four I’s, Inspirational Motivation, Idealized Influence, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration, into its program design and implementation to develop a collaborative learning culture through teacher motivation and the focus on improving student achievement. The iLead program has drawn statewide attention by winning the 2020 California Golden Bell Awards recently. The annual awards promote excellence in education and recognize prominent California schools’ and districts’ programs and exemplary …

A Mixed Methods Examination Of Elementary Teachers’ Conceptions Of Benchmark Reading Assessments, Marie N. Derby Ed. D.

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Abstract

This study examined the case of 22 mid-Atlantic K-5 public school teachers’ conceptions of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Reading Assessment Systems 1-3. The Namaste School District delivers ELA curriculum through reader’s and writer’s workshop. Triangulated data showed that participants held varying conceptions of the F&P. Specifically, they shared similar conceptions regarding the importance of one-on-one time with students, the amount of time it takes to administer the assessment, and the subjectivity of the F&P results. Results of this study provided similar results to other studies of teachers’ conceptions of assessment and adds to the literature debate regarding …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Student Opportunity In Consolidated Rural High Schools, Bradley Smith

Ed.D. Dissertations

Since the early 1900s, educational leaders and policymakers looked to consolidation as a way for rural schools and school systems to overcome financial challenges and improve the educational experiences for students. Stakeholders were met with conflicting claims about the effects of school and system consolidation. Proponents of consolidation claimed a consolidation would provide students with more curricular and extracurricular options by way of financial savings experienced from economies of scale, while opponents of consolidation claimed the consolidation would not relieve financial stress but would risk more behavioral problems and a loss of community identity. In this case study of a …

Teacher Perceptions Of Curriculum-Driven Technology After Working With Instructional Technology Coaches In Middle Schools In One Southeastern School District, Julie Pepperman

Ed.D. Dissertations

The use of curriculum-driven technology in K-12 public schools was mandated by federal law. School and district leaders were required to provide curriculum-driven technology professional development and support to teachers. The use of the curriculum-driven technology coach was an option some schools chose to meet the curriculum-driven technology professional development requirements and needs of their teachers. The purpose of this research was to explore one school district’s middle school teachers’ perceptions of the importance of curriculum-driven technology and their perceived self-efficacy in using curriculum-driven technology in instructional practice after collaborating with a curriculum-driven technology coach. This qualitative study was conducted …

Novice, Alternatively Licensed Career And Technical Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development, Desiree Seay

Ed.D. Dissertations

In this qualitative study, I address novice, alternatively licensed Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers’ perceptions of professional development support in a southeastern school district in the state of Tennessee. The lack of tailored professional development opportunities created issues for CTE teachers because of the complexity of their teaching responsibilities. Research on effective methods of professional development for beginning CTE teachers existed; however, there were few research studies on program implementations and their effectiveness. To gather data, I used a Google survey to establish an initial, two-tiered criterion for participation, and participants who met the criteria participated in one-on-one interviews. Specifically, …

Training And Support Systems And Their Impact On First-Year Teachers In Kentucky, Ashley E. Dunn

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study surveyed elementary school teachers across the state of Kentucky in regards to these four main concepts: (a) identifying the challenges and needs of FYT, (b) identify and explore the trainings provided to FYT, (c) identify and explore the supports provided to FYT, and (d) identifying what is needed to effectively support FYT. The driving question of the study asked: what are the training and support experiences of first-year K-5 teachers and how can these experiences be improved for future educators? Based on this question, the following hypothesis was created: having been provided comprehensive induction programs, FYT will …

The Relationship Between Teacher Preparation And Attrition In The Teaching Field, Gerardo Trujillo

Dissertations

In this study, the researcher investigated the relationship between the preservice preparation and attrition in the field of teachers employed at Chicago Public Schools. The researcher administered a survey to teachers working in Chicago and its neighboring suburbs, and their responses revealed their perceptions about their preparation program and their real-world experiences in the classroom. The results indicated that new teachers need coursework in the areas of classroom management, social-emotional skill integration, and cultural competence. The expectation is that the findings will support the creation of a uniform policy for all universities to implement nationwide. Such a program could result …

A Relationship Built To Impact Instruction: Developing And Sustaining Productive Partnerships Between Mathematics Specialists And Principals, Nathan D. Potter, Hannah Adera Rooney, Melody Locher, Debra Kinsey

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

How does the mathematics specialist provide a profound and lasting impact on instruction? We believe that a productive partnership between the principal and specialist, which we will call the principal-specialist relationship, is at the crux of the matter. When the principal-specialist relationship is built upon a foundation of a shared vision, clear roles, communication, and trust, both the teachers and students in the school benefit. We will explore the impact of the principal-specialist relationship on teacher success during the era of distance learning as necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to explore how these ideas come alive in the …

A Descriptive Study Of The Accommodations, Assistive Technologies, And Supports Chosen By Students With An Intellectual Disability Attending A Post-Secondary Institution, Lori Olson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate the perceptions of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) attending a Transition Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). This study explored what they perceived to be the most chosen and helpful accommodations, assistive technologies, and supports and why they chose them. The researcher sent out an electronic survey to students with ID attending a Transition Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) to determine the most chosen and helpful accommodations, assistive technologies, and supports and why they found them helpful.The top ranked accommodations used and found most helpful in this …

The Impacts Of Peer Observation Roles And Teaching Characteristics On Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Secondary Data Analysis Study Using The Talis Survey, Elisa Tedona

Theses and Dissertations

It is important for teachers to have a high sense of self-efficacy, as it is one of the prime motivational forces influencing student learning, teacher quality, and in turn, overall success (Curry, 2015; Hattie, 2009; Klassen & Chiu, 2010). Teachers with high self-efficacy work harder, are more involved in learning, and have higher assurance (Bandura, 1994). For these reasons, it is imperative to study the influencers of teacher self-efficacy. Peer observations and observational feedback, a highly used practice in all schools, is one of those influencers. This cycle of observations and feedback provided to teachers is influential to teacher self-efficacy …

The Past And Future Of Teacher Efficacy, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Knowing how the concept of teacher efficacy has evolved in education research shows us good ways to raise teachers' confidence now.

Learning From Failures: Lessons From Unsuccessful Grading Reform Initiatives, Thomas R. Guskey

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

This article describes accounts of grading reform initiatives that while well-intentioned, met with staunch opposition and eventually were abandoned. The implementation strategies employed by the leaders of these reform initiative are explored, along with reasons these strategies failed to result in meaningful and enduring change. Alternative grading reform strategies with supporting evidence are offered, justification for their use explained, and new directions for grading reform initiatives recommended.

When The Church Comes To Campus: Christian Convictions And The Challenge Toward Authentic Membership In The Secular Academy, Henrique G. Alvim

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

This article argues for a certain kind of pluralism in the context of the secular university that would afford Christians the opportunity to more intentionally bring their religious convictions and resources to their lived experiences and academic pursuits. It points to possibilities in what pertains to the place of believers while also reminding the Church of what it ought to be in these shared educational spaces: a community of worship, not of domination. As both the university and the Church rethink ways in which to respectfully engage with one another, thus taking faith commitments more seriously, collaboration among all members …

Developing Multicultural Competence In Undergraduate Student Leaders Through A Civil Rights Bus Tour, Kevin J. Villegas, Catherine Lombardozzi

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

This qualitative study provides insight on the impact of an intensive civil rights bus tour on the multicultural competence development of undergraduate student leaders. Specifically, this phenomenological inquiry explored the lived experiences of four individuals who participated in a civil rights bus tour as undergraduate student leaders. Through interpretive phenomenological analysis, several themes emerged that have bearing on the development of multicultural competence in undergraduate student leaders. The results of this study conclude that the multicultural competence of the undergraduate student leaders who participated in the tour developed in significant ways. Ideally, this study informs the work of student affairs …

The Experiences Of Lgbtq+ Christians In A Support Group And Implications For Practitioners, Christian Heasley, Stacy A. Jacob

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

LGBTQ+ students attending Christian colleges and universities represent a unique intersection of sexual and spiritual identity. There is a dearth of literature regarding LGBTQ+ students at Christian institutions. Research is difficult to undertake because of the challenge of recruiting participants who may not feel comfortable or even safe identifying as LGBTQ+, even in an anonymous study. This qualitative study specifically studies LGBTQ+ students who are members of a school-sanctioned LGBTQ+ support groups at a Council for Christian College and Universities (CCCU) institution. Participants involved in such a group responded to an interview discussing their faith development, their sexual identity development, …

Growth No. 20 (2021) - Full Issue

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

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

Why We're Polarized, Serena Draper

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

No abstract provided.

Presumed Incompetent Ii: Race, Class Power, And Resistance Of Women In Academia, Dannemart Pierre

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

No abstract provided.

Authoring An Undivided Self: Predictors Of Self-Authorship Among First-Year Students Attending Christian Universities, Rachel Abouras

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

Ample research suggests that self-authorship may serve an important role in helping students develop as whole people. Therefore, the time is ripe for Christian student affairs professionals to further investigate the construct of self-authorship, specifically how it may be shaped in the college context. To that end, the purpose of this study was to identify key factors that influence self-authorship among a sample of first-year students attending a Christian university (N=428). Drawing on the work of Kegan (1994) and Baxter Magolda (2001), this study utilized hierarchical multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between self-authorship and a set of predictor …

Multiculturalism In Higher Education: Increasing Access And Improving Equity In The 21st Century, Crystal M. Cartwright

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

No abstract provided.

Latina Female Superintendents Securing Positions In Small Rural School Districts, Irma Castillo, Velma D. Menchaca, Veronica Lopez-Estrada

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

Underrepresentation of women in the position of school superintendent has been identified as an equity issue in the field of education. National demographics show that approximately 73% of school superintendents are male as compared to only 27% female. Of these female superintendents, Latina and nonwhite female superintendents make up a small percentage of this group (Kominiak, 2016) and scarce in the literature. This research study revealed that Latina superintendents were attracted to small rural districts with a familial environment with high levels of parental and community involvement. They shared the perspective that small rural communities seemed to be more receptive …

Action Research As Professional Development: Creating Effective Professional Development In Every Classroom, Lori A. Cambareri

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Professional development is a critical component of teacher professional growth that directly influences increased student learning and achievement. As professionals, teachers continue to develop their knowledge and skills with the aim of improving their teaching to assure that students can learn better. A huge investment in time and resources is invested in teacher professional learning every year. However, teachers report, and research supports, that teacher professional development often does not meet teachers’ needs and does not perform its integral function of creating a sustained change in teacher behavior that leads to a corresponding positive change in student achievement. This problem …

An Explorative Study Of Kentucky Teacher Leader Graduate Programs: Response To Policy Change, Bailey M. Ubellacker

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Teacher leadership is a growing practice for supporting K-12 teachers and students. Recent policy regulations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky mandated a change in the professional standards used by approved graduate programs that prepare teacher leaders. To support this foundational change, program leaders designed programmatic goals, curriculum, structure, and tasks to align with the Teacher Leader Model Standards that emphasize promising research-based practices. The programs support development of teacher leadership through pedagogical approach, requirements, and programmatic structure.

Using a qualitative, multi-site case-study approach, this dissertation explored Kentucky teacher leadership graduate programs to understand how teacher leaders were formally prepared. Program …

Pivoting To Deeper Experiences In Higher Education Classrooms, Danielle M. Pratt, Daniel W. Eadens

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In higher education, pivoting quickly to a fully virtual experience online in the midst of a global pandemic is an adventure. There are marked differences between the online experience for a student who was already in a web-delivered course versus one that started face-to-face and quickly pivoted to an online setting. Some assignments, lessons, and courses are easily delivered in alternate formats while other learning opportunities are much more difficult to transition for online delivery. For example, assignments that involve internships or in-person experiences had to shift dramatically, be delayed, or cancelled. Beyond the experiences within the higher education classroom, …

Developing Equity-Centered Leadership Knowledge And Skills Via Lesson Study In An Online Mathematics Specialist Program, Courtney K. Baker, Spencer Jamieson, Adrienne Paul, Scarlett Kibler, Alyson Eaglen, Tammy Kraft

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This paper highlights how coursework within a synchronous online mathematics specialist program enhanced candidates’ leadership knowledge and provided structures that addressed issues of equity and access. A focus on one online assignment grounded in Lesson Study played a pivotal role in developing equity-centered leadership and instructional practices. Program instructors and recent alumni illuminate how designing, implementing, and reflecting on the Lesson Study experience served as a cornerstone for advancing their mathematics instruction in the following ways: (a) as instructors designing an online leadership course, (b) as learners within an online environment, and (c) as educators within their K–8 school settings. …

Connected At A Distance: Experiences And Efforts Within A Synchronous, Online Mathematics Specialist Program, Laura E. Bitto, Pamela E. Johnson, Beth Terry

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Online learning offers flexibility and convenience to students regardless of their proximity to a traditional campus. However, online programs can also feel isolating. Beth, a mathematics specialist candidate, completed a graduate program while living 7000 miles and seven time zones away from her instructor and peers. Through intentional planning by instructors, Beth found community by making personal connections, celebrating life experiences, and sharing a passion for mathematics education with her peers. Furthermore, Beth felt empowered to take academic risks and expose professional vulnerabilities in the learning community. The instructors within the program valued learning as a social construct and therefore …

Differences In Education In Urban And Rural Areas, Jacob Shreve

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project examines the educational differences and disparities of urban and rural schools in Ohio. The focus school districts are Switzerland of Ohio Local and Akron Public Schools. Demographic information from each of the focus school districts is examined and compared to the outcomes of the schools to determine if factors such as poverty inhibit student learning. Data and statistics, published research, and personal experience will be used to make connections between the school districts, their students, their environment, and their learning. Differences in educational quality, opportunities, and funding will also be discussed.