Focus On Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of The Shared Ideas And Agreements That Change Teachers' Instructional Practice, Renee C. Middleton

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This descriptive study examines principal and teacher perceptions of the shared ideas and agreements that change teachers’ instructional practice. This study was conducted during the school year 2013-2014, drawing on teacher and principal sample representatives selected from 10 high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in one Southern California public school district. The study utilizes qualitative and quantitative methodologies to create survey questionnaires and semi-structured phone interviews to examine the research questions focused on teacher and principal perceptions which were coded and analyzed. The primary data collection was based on the tallies, statistical analysis of the respondents’ survey questionnaire responses, …

Narrowing The Gap: Exploring The Characteristics And Practices Of Urban School Principals Closing The Achievement Gap, Gordon D. Amerson Jr

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to critically analyze the experiences and practices of Inland Empire urban school principals as they work to close the African American achievement gap. The achievement gap begins in elementary school and continues to persist throughout elementary and secondary schools producing differences in high school graduation rates, college and career attainment, and ultimately socio-economic differences in income between various racial and ethnic groups.

We know the impact of school principals on student achievement is significant. The literature demonstrates that school principals play a key role in developing the structures and systems necessary to improve …

At The Core Of School Reform: A Culture Of Commitment, Collaboration, And Collective Leadership, Lari Ann Nelson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Public education in America today is a product of more than a century of reform. Innovators of each era have attempted to transform the education system to match their ideals and beliefs. Educational reform efforts to improve learning for all students have been an issue of debate since the founding of America – seeking for equality and quality of education. The most recent educational initiative an emphasis on accountability via high-stakes tests, many schools are now branded as “failing” and requiring program improvement. As such, leaders search for reform models that will save their school from further sanctions.

Of the …

Appreciative Inquiry: A Path To Change In Education, Pamela L. Buchanan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) introduces a new approach to educational change. Most state and federal initiatives for educational change grow out of a deficit model of what is wrong with schools and what is needed to fix them. Implementation of new reforms has historically been mandated by administrators with little impact. The emphasis of AI is upon what is right with the organization and forms the basis for new initiatives and further change. This model proposes a cycle of inquiry used by leaders who distribute leadership across their constituents. Organizational learning is a process of individual and collective inquiry that modifies …

Examining Fully Online Degree Students' Perceptions Of Online Student Support Services: A Mixed Method Study Using Grounded Theory And Rasch Analysis, Tamara Dean Heimberg

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The higher education market is becoming much more competitive as more students are attracted to online courses and online degree programs. In order to remain competitive, higher education institutions must provide students access to online support services. However, an online student support services plan is an often overlooked component of an online initiative even though it is a critical factor in the overall success of an online program.

This research specifically focuses on online student support services for students enrolled in fully online degree programs in an effort to identify the most important online student support services from students’ perspectives, …

Practical Wisdom In The Office Of The School District Superintendent, Frieda Grace Brands

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if practical wisdom can be recognized as one factor that may be attributed to the success of individuals sitting in the position of superintendent in a school district. Practical wisdom is defined as something developed over time through experiences and knowledge. It guides decision making on moral and practical issues. The changing political climate coupled with increased accountability and the increased rate at which superintendents have been retiring, have created the necessity to identify some factors that contribute to a superintendent’s success. This study provides an assessment of practical wisdom in a …

The Efficacy Of Charter Schools In The San Bernardino City Unified School District Meeting The Needs Of Students With Disabilities, Gregory A. Jones

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Abstract

The aim of charter schools is to provide equal learning opportunities for all children, particularly those with disabilities; the results, though, are mixed. Some charter school students fare better than traditional school students, while others do worse. The exception is students with disabilities, where they excel and outperform in the charter school environment. This is not the case with San Bernardino City Unified School District charter school students with disabilities. Not only do they not outperform their regular education peers, but actually regress in their academic performance.

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Late-Entry English Learners In The Vista Canyon Unified School District, Joseph W. Boffa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Many researchers have attempted to identify best practices, habits, and conditions of English Language Learners (ELs, ELLs) pertaining to school success. It is clear EL students pose unique and significant challenges, yet unclear what strategies and program models educators can implement to motivate learning, improve educational experiences, and appropriately acknowledge and reward these learners’ accomplishments. Few studies have attempted to determine the difficulties and challenges associated with academic success and probability of graduation for Late-entry English Learners (LEELs), defined as those entering the school system as eighth-through-twelfth grade students. Their test scores weigh heavily on high-stakes standardized testing accountability measures. …

Addressing Articulation And Common Language Between 11th And 12th Grade 'English Language Arts And College-Level English In The California Community College, Janet A. Long

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

For several years, college-level remediation in English and mathematics has been of great concern for California community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. The cost of remediation has skyrocketed into the billions of dollars for postsecondary institutions. Placement tests are required for most students before they are permitted to enroll in any college courses. These placement tests determine in what English and/or math class students will begin their college experience. At issue is that many students who successfully complete high English in the 11th & 12 grades (earn an A or B) are placing into a remedial English class. …

Effective Principal Leadership Behavior: The Student Perspective, Derek Adrian Pinto

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

As Gentilucci and Muto (2007) proposed, Principals need to find strategies and tactics to have direct, positive effects on Students. Little research has been done which takes the key stakeholder perspective, the Student, into account. Students’ perspectives may be critical as they are the focus educational services delivered, and may have insights into how they might best be served.

The primary focus of this exploratory research was to examine Students’ perspectives on effective Principal leadership behavior. This subjectivist research paradigm, or “insider perspective” (Gentilucci, 2004; Gentilucci & Muto, 2007) was important in determining the effectiveness of Principal leadership. The …

Post-Oppositional Culture Theory: Counter Narratives Of African American Preservice Teachers, Sonya Victoria Scott

Theses Digitization Project

This study seeks to counter the social narrative that African Americans resist schooling by examining African American post baccalaureate college students that have developed a passion for learning as demonstrated in their persistence and motivations to enter the teaching profession. Racially correlated disparities prevalent in standardized test scores, high school dropout rates and college eligibility remain one of the most pervasive educational dilemmas facing public schools across the nation. African Americans are identified as significantly under performing when compared to the average performance of white students.

Planting, Learning, Growing: Utilizing Service-Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics Among Urban Middle School Students, Carly Jessica Chavez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is meant to work as a descriptive analysis of service-learning pedagogy and outcomes, through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning opportunities. One of the many challenges facing public education is how to actively incorporate elements of STEM into the classroom curriculum and school-wide.

Educational Experiences Of Pregnant And Parenting Adolescents In Pregnant Minor Education Program, Tabitha Ndinda Muteti

Theses Digitization Project

The objective of this study was to inquire into the educational experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents enrolled in a pregnant minor program and represent their voices by documenting this inquiry. This is a qualitative study that utilized phenomenological perspective and included a series of three in-depth interviews with six pregnant and parenting students. The focus and aim of the study was to represent the participant's voices on their educational experiences. The participants were pregnant teenagers attending a program in Southern California in the United States of America.

Instructional Disability: Voices Of The Resource Specialists On The Design Of The Resource Support Program, Christy Vasquez Martinez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the various contextual factors that influence the instructional decisions made by the resource specialist and how that guides planning for instruction. In 1990 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted to protect students with disabilities. The law mandated learning disabled students receive Free Appropriate Public Education (F.A.P.E.). Various types of special education settings have been established in public schools, based on student need in order to support an appropriate education.

Exploring The Essence Of Trust Through The Lived Experiences Of Jazz Educators, John Newell Canfield

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to contribute to the body of knowledge on trust, educational leadership, and jazz by exploring the lived experiences of jazz educators with regard to the phenomenon of trust in the educational environment.

Conceptual Change Theory In Education: Using Dinner-Home Visits To Reshape Teacher Perceptions Of Students, Audrey Consuelo Hovannesian

Theses Digitization Project

This study was designed to determine a method to identify barriers which inhibit and items which foster levels of School Connectedness based on teacher perceptions of School Climate. When barriers related to School Connectedness are identified, the application of a protocol to reshape teacher perceptions may be necessary. Identifying teacher perceptions of School Climate related to students, the school environment, and themselves, is often an indicator of how connected the various elements of a school are since teachers and staff members greatly assist in the formation of a school climate. The 100 Dinners Project was a mixed methods study designed …

The Physics Of School Culture: Unleashing Student Voice In The Quest For School Improvement, Henry Elizarraraz Yzaguirre

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine the lived experiences of students attending a predominately Latino urban high school in the southwest region of the United States, using interviews, focus groups, and observations to gain an insight on student engagement and disengagement from school. Riverview High School was selected as the prime site for exploring student engagement based mainly on the poor student population of color, low school retention rate, and high suspension rate. Three focus groups were identified of about 6 students each for a total of eighteen 11th grade students. Each focus group was digitally recorded …

Career Academy Scholars Program, Gustavo Adolfo Chamorro

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to gather the experiences of low-income Latino high school participating in a dual-enrollment program at a community college. Low income Latina/o students face many challenges to complete their secondary education, and to pursue a higher education degree.

Relationships Between Initial California High School Exit Exam Performance And Academic Success Of High School Students, Jennifer Ellen Lucht

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and 11th grade GPA and ACT scores as measures of academic success.

"I Hope To Be A Symbol Of Encouragement": Using Craft In Community Colleges To Facilitate Student Voice In The Remedial Studies Debate, Aja Nadine Henriquez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to collect information about basic skills students in one cohort of 24 students at a local community college in order to inform policy-makers about the group for which they are making decisions. As faculty and administrators scramble to enact changes to cope with the current economy, political changes, and community demands, students are the only stakeholders whose voices aren't heard in the debate over what is to come of remedial studies in California Community Colleges. Throughout all of this research, one important element is missing in the discourse regarding remedial coursework in community college--the …

Applications Of The Well-Educated Mind 2003 Concept By Susan Bauer In The Southern California History Classrooms, Tomasz Bogdan Stanek

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to discover how courses in world history and United States history are taught in Southern California secondary schools. At this stage of the research the study of the history course instruction will be generally defined as an exploratory and investigative inquiry involving the interviews of the history faculty, analysis of their course offerings and syllabi content, and the overall teachers' course content preparation and knowledge.

Fostering A Consciousness Of Academic Success With Latino English Language Learners In High School: The Role Self-Efficacy And Social Capital Play, Miguel Angel Huerta LóPez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to suggest ways in which educators can foster a consciousness of academic success with Latino English language learners in high school using self-efficacy and social capital as assets. The concentration of this study is to look at the English language learner population at Vista Valley High School. A total of twelve students participated in this study. Each student will be interviewed twice with at least six additional students being interviewed a third time.

The Effects Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Student Achievement And Other Outcomes, Gail Pamela Angus

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on student academic performance and other outcomes. The participants in the study are eight middle schools from an urban Southern California school district that were mandated to implement SWPBIS in 2005.

Explicit Content-Area Vocabulary Instruction For English Learners: Impacts With Reading Comprehension, Catherine Ruthe Terrell

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine impacts of explicit content-area vocabulary instruction on reading comprehension. Effective instructional strategies include multiple texts at students' instructional levels, highly qualified teachers, daily explicit vocabulary instruction combined with student's application of instruction and evolution of instruction as student's reading achievement increases.

Ethical Decision-Making Under High-Stakes Testing, Jennifer-Jane Alene Blum

Theses Digitization Project

In this research project, it was found that the pressure to meet accountability standards have intensified. The pressure to conform to testing curriculum created ethical dilemmas over the focus on curriculum or on test preparation. Educators are increasingly placed in an ethical dilemma of knowing what is needed to meet students' needs but rendered unable to meet those needs because of demands to conform to testing expectations under the new accountability system.

The Development Of A Multicultural School Resource Index, Susan Linda Lenarz, Carol Louise Palko, Diane Shirley Perdew

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

The Principal's Role In School Climate, Heather Jeannine Williams

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Three Communication Models For The Elementary School ..., Molly Ann Schecter

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

January 7 1971, Friday Bulletin

CSUSB Friday Bulletin

No abstract provided.

December 18 1970, Friday Bulletin

CSUSB Friday Bulletin

No abstract provided.