Educational Leadership Commons^™

Effective School Discipline Policy And Practice: Supporting Student Learning Through Restorative Practices And Social Emotional Learning Skills, Jennifer Camilleri

Dissertations

School discipline is an ongoing area of concern, as keeping children in school and engaged in learning is required not only for their well-being, but also for that of society. In response to the failure of zero-tolerance policies and to the passing of Illinois Senate Bill 100, which restricts disciplinary action that remove students from school, XYZ Middle School is adopting a restorative justice model of school discipline. This model, based on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), is projected to reduce suspensions and address the racial disparity existing in disciplinary practices at the school. Combining SEL and restorative justice practices will …

A School District's Change To Standards-Based Grading: A Conduit To Student Learning, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

Nothing can be more important in a student’s learning process than feedback. This study looks at what is needed to effectively guide an elementary school district from a traditional letter grade system to a standards-based grading system. Survey data were collected from 91 teachers across the district in order to measure their understanding of standards-based grading. A standards-based grading pilot was conducted with six teachers from the elementary and middle school level. Four of these six teachers participated in a group interview to share perceptions of this pilot. Survey data were collected from the 54 students involved in the pilot. …

Blended Learning And Educational Technology: Using An Online-Digital Curriculum To Support Student Learning, Jennifer Camilleri

Dissertations

XYZ District has recently invested in a one-to-one technology initiative, providing each student in grades three through eight with an iPad. However, consistent integration of this new technology with classroom teaching strategy has been lacking, even though teachers were provided with a digital curriculum and guidance in blendedlearning pedagogy through the XYZ Internal University. This may be due, in part, to the evolving culture in many schools, as well as teacher competencies and self-efficacy in using the technology. Given the potential for significant student learning gains through the proper implementation of this technology, two representative teachers were surveyed to gather …

Assessing A District's Culture Through An Annual School Culture Audit: A Policy Advocacy Document, Robert Tomic

Dissertations

Healthy school cultures play a significant role in improving a student’s educational experience as well as creating a professional environment for staff. Sustaining a positive school culture throughout a K-8 district allows for similar experiences for students and provides stability at the staff level throughout the district. The recommended policy for Yorktown School District would require each school to complete an annual school culture audit to ensure the presence of a strong foundation for all stakeholders. Utilizing the School Culture Triage Survey on an annual basis to determine strengths and areas to focus on will provide a school and district …

Transforming A School's Culture Through Collaboration, Relationships, And Shared Values: A Change Leadership Plan, Robert Tomic

Dissertations

The change leadership paper centers around transforming a school culture with the focus being on collaboration, relationships, and shared values among its stakeholders.Building trust among staff and administration while making daily decisions based on the same value system is necessary to enact an effective transformation. Tools used to collect data included the School Culture Triage Survey and the Teacher Belief Survey. The staff completed the School Culture Triage Survey to establish baseline data and then completed the survey a second time with the results confirming growth in the three main categories: professional collaboration, collegial relationships, and self-determination. Correlating and comparing …

Implementing Standards-Based Grading In A Suburban Middle School: A Change Leadership Plan, Cody Huisman

Dissertations

The purpose of the Change Leadership Plan was to describe a current issue facing a school district, creating a vision of change to end that obstacle. In the case of this particular change plan, the problem is the traditional grading system at a suburban middle school. The plan advocates for a change to a standards-based grading system. Several steps describing change are examined: describing the current situation, conducting research to support change, and designing a vision of what success will look like after standards-based grading is established. The research conducted was done through both surveys and group interviews. Research participants …

Going 1:1- Writing Policy To Support The 21st Century Student: A Policy Advocacy Document, Tracey K. Landry

Dissertations

In an effort to prepare its graduates with the 21^st century skills of problem solving, collaboration, technology savvy, creativity, and information literacy and to close the learning gaps between students who have access to technology and those who don’t, this study proposes that District 123 create a policy to support a 1:1 Chromebook initiative. Using Browder’s needs analysis model, the impact of a 1:1 program is analyzed through the educational, social, political, economic and moral frames (Browder, 1995). It is determined that a 1:1 program can transform teaching and learning by giving equal access to technology, by incorporating student-driven …

Redefining A Special Education Alternative High School Program To Make Students College And Career Ready: A Change Leadership Plan, Janine E. Gruhn

Dissertations

The change leadership plan examines redefining college and career readiness for students in alternative programs. We know from research that all students need to have the necessary skills to be ready for post-secondary employment or to attend colleges; however, students attending a special education alternative program were not successfully transitioning back to their high school and tended to stay in the district’s program until graduation (Gruhn, 2016). Therefore, this change leadership plan used Wagner’s (2006) 4 C’s framework to examine the areas of context, culture, conditions and competencies. Focusing on 10 practices of college of career and college readiness (Brand …

Personalized Professional Learning For Elementary Bilingual Educators: A Policy Advocacy Document, Nicole M. Robinson

Dissertations

This policy advocacy document advocates a policy to strengthen an existing elementary bilingual program through personalized professional development. Twin goals of the proposed policy are to (1) increase student achievement and (2) increase bilingual teacher retention. District 32’s bilingual program recently shifted from a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) model to a Developmental Bilingual Education (DBE) model, which emphasized biliteracy. As a small suburban school district with a rapidly rising Hispanic and low-income student population, this shift raised awareness among district administrators of the need for a new professional development model geared toward its mostly inexperienced bilingual teachers. To be immediately …

Teacher-Created Student Growth Assessments Used For Teacher Evaluation And The Effects On Teacher Efficacy, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

The landscape surrounding teacher evaluation is changing as teacher accountability becomes more prevalent in this process. This study looks at how teacher-created student growth assessments (SGAs) for teacher evaluation affects teacher efficacy with respect to instructional practice. Survey data were collected from 110 kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers; additional data were gathered from three interviews. A majority of these teachers reported the work in creating SGAs benefitted their instructional practice. Teachers reported increased knowledge in learning standards, curriculum development, and assessment literacy as a result of creating their own SGAs. Qualitative findings suggest that when teachers are provided an opportunity to …

The Case For Cultural Proficiency For Teachers Of Students Of Color Who Live In Poverty: A Policy Advocacy Document, Perry A. Finch

Dissertations

This document explores how expanding educators’ cultural proficiency leads to increased learning opportunities for students of color who live in poverty. Through the development of culturally responsive curriculum and instruction, teachers might increase their abilities to meet the needs of previously disenfranchised students. A connection exists between differentiated instruction and culturally responsive instruction, as both require a heightened understanding of students’ schema, interests, and culture. This policy argues that increasing educators’ cultural proficiency should not be done simply to increase teacher effectiveness with instruction but rather because it is a moral obligation of schools.

Understanding The Effects Of Summer School, Technology, And 21st Century Skills On Student Academics, Jennifer Camilleri

Dissertations

District XYZ has hosted traditional summer school for more than 20 years to assist students not quite ready to advance to the next grade. The district has become more diverse, and many students end the school year without solid mastery of that grade’s objectives. Therefore, summer school is a pivotal time for these students who have not mastered the grade-level content to gain a solid foundation before moving on to the next grade. Because of both the changing needs of the district’s student population and the relatively short amount of time in which summer school occurs, technological tools that can …

Oral Reading Fluency And Differentiation, Luci Hartmann

FL MED Educational Leadership Capstones

The purpose of this study is to examine oral reading fluency (ORF) and instructional differentiation at the elementary school level. ORF is a fundamental component needed for reading comprehension. Students need sufficient ORF to fully comprehend what they are learning in all subject matter. Using the Diagnostic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), the ORF of students in kindergarten through fifth grade were assessed three times during the school year. After each assessment, student scores were analyzed to determine which of three different instructional strategies would be used to improve each student’s ORF. The results of my Capstone Project …

Evaluating Students’ Assignments Using A Four-Point Achievement Scale Adapted From The Work Of, Jenalisa Zummo

FL MED Educational Leadership Capstones

This capstone project illustrated the implementation of standards-based grading (SBG) in a geometry college preparatory classroom, which allows teachers to report more accurately and effectively students’ successes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using a four-point achievement scale adapted from the work of Dr. Robert Marzano. By reporting grades based on curriculum standards and content level, grades show students and parents validity in progress on meeting the standards.

Civic Education Training Promotes Active Learning With Real-World Outcomes, Becci Burchett Gauna, Michelle Paul

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

The teaching of history is moving away from the rote memorization of textbooks and toward the development of civic skills. Illinois’ recent decision to require all students to complete a semester-long civics course brings us a step closer to measuring active citizenship. Typically harbored under the social studies umbrella, civics is now a stand-alone course. The state mandates that each civics course include service learning, controversial conversation, instruction regarding government institutions and procedures, and simulations.

Understanding Ties Among Diversity-Focused Greek Organizations, Sense Of Community, Multicultural Openness, And Leadership, Jose Dj Iniguez

Dissertations

The current study examined whether NLU fraternity students and non-fraternity students differ in how they experience multicultural openness and sense of community, and how these factors may contribute to their sense of leadership. Students (N = 55, 40 females and 15 males) at a university, both those part of a multicultural fraternity and those in the general population, were recruited to participate in the quantitative study (Study 1). The fraternity students were part of a mixed method design, additionally recruited for a qualitative portion of the study (Study 2). In Study 1 both groups were assessed on their multicultural openness, …

The Perceived Impact On Bullying Of The Second Step Program At A Kindergarten-8th Grade School: A Program Evaluation, Adam J. Thorns

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines the Second Step program at Baker School, a Kindergarten through 8^th grade building located in Hillsborough, Illinois. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the perceptions of impact the Second Step program has had on bullying at the school. The study employs a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews with students, educators, and parents. This researcher determined that although bullying does not appear to be prevalent at Baker School, there is inconclusive evidence regarding the impact of the Second Step program. Major themes that emerged from this evaluation were a wide range of student …

The Effectiveness Of Juvenile Boot Camps And Their Impact On Minority Youth, Gregory Tyrone Williams

Dissertations

The proposal examines the effectiveness of juvenile boot camps and their impact on minority youth by examining literature and by extensive research using mixed methods of two separate programs in Wisconsin. In-depth interviews were conducted, and surveys were administered to staff and boot camp participants. Based on the analysis of the data, generally, participants reported positive short-term changes in attitudes and behaviors; they also had better problem solving and coping skills.

The Challenge Academy responds to the demands of this proposal and fiscally demonstrates that it is a good Return on Investment (ROI) offering a more inclusive program of character …

Promoting And Selecting Culturally Relevant Teaching Materials And Pedagogy In Our Schools, Ebony R. Davis

Dissertations

In the twenty-first century, African American males continue to be negatively defined in society, in the media, and by educators. These males face many challenges in their educational careers. Hence, this study explored two African American male students and their perception of contributing factors that motivate them to succeed academically. The study was also focused on their perceptions of their relationship with key influencers that help them to succeed academically. The study consisted of an analysis of their perception about teacher quality, student behavior, and parental involvement. In fact, study results showed how these African American male students maintain a …

A Quantitative Comparison Of The Reading Achievement Of English Learners In Dual Language And Transitional Bilingual Programs, Shajaira P. Lopez

Dissertations

One of the goals of bilingual education research is to identify programs that have shown to be effective in increasing the English proficiency of English learners (ELs). The purpose of this archival comparative study was to conduct a quantitative comparison of the English reading achievement of third grade ELs enrolled in dual language education (DLE) programs to those enrolled in transitional bilingual education (TBE) programs in order to determine which program is more effective in improving the reading proficiency of third grade ELs in the Chicago Public Schools. The data analyzed in this study were the 2010-2014 reading scores on …

Program Evaluation: Metacognition In A Blended Learning Environment, Flavian Josiah Prince

Dissertations

Students across the country are deciding to leave school at an early age, not enroll in college, and have limited opportunities in regards to employment. Instead of developing systems to address these needs, many American schools have chosen to label these students as at-risk and place them in computer labs with limited supervision. Considering the myriad of variables many young people face while navigating through a shifting economy demanding higher critical thinking and sophisticated job embedded skills, this study asks why failing prevailing educational practices are not being replaced with new innovations to address this serious need. Instead of using …

Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of The United States Social Class System, Tracy M. Stevenson-Olson

Dissertations

As the number of school aged children living in poverty increases, the inherent inequities within the United States class system continue to grow. Teacher perceptions regarding the United States social class system are examined through focus group interviews with four teachers in an urban high school. A critical qualitative methodology was used to explore how the participants make sense of the complex social class system and how they perceive the impact of social class within the school context. The findings include two overarching themes that influenced these teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of social class; their own personal narrative /identity construction …

A First-Year Implementation Of Mindquest21, A Project-Based Paradigm Shift To Deeper Learning: A Program Evaluation, Deborah R. Esparza

Dissertations

This program evaluation examines MindQuest21, a project-based learning (PBL) model that was implemented in a Chicago, Illinois suburban community. It began with a summer institute experience with a group of approximately seventy teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. These teachers volunteered to attend a four-day MindQuest21 professional development seminar where they actively participated in a facilitated PBL model of instruction and collaborated on the development of PBL units within their district. A pre-post survey was used to compare teacher confidence increases and PBL understanding after the summer institute. This was followed by teacher interviews, follow-up sessions, classroom visits, and …

Four Year Old Kindergarten Should Not Be Optional, But A Necessary Program For Low Performing School Districts, Edward Todd Beadle

Dissertations

The Wisconsin Engaging Early Education (WEEE) Policy outlines a school readiness funding intitative that can help to close the achievement gap in underperforming school districts. Research has shown that students from lower social economic status do not have the same access to high quality early education compared to more affluent communities. The WEEE Policy will help to provide resources and structure to Wisconsin school districts in need of improvement and support Wisconsin's goal of closing the achievement gap.

The Effects Of Consistent Observation And Feedback On Teacher Practice And Motivation To Refine Instruction, Scott I. Nasatir

Dissertations

This evaluation of a pilot program investigates the effects consistent observation and feedback had on teacher practice and motivation to refine instruction. An observation-feedback loop was initiated at a high school in a large Midwestern urban school district where teachers received bi-weekly observations and were provided with instantaneous feedback. Current research has shown that teacher evaluation, if utilized appropriately and with fidelity, can be a strong lever to improve instructional practices. While the advantages are vast, few schools and districts alike are also enacting measures to roll out a companion model that has “coaching” attributes embedded to support educators entrenched …

Moving To A District Balanced Literacy Program: A Change Leadership Plan, Cynthia A. Marks, Carol A. Benda

Dissertations

Based upon the requirements of the No Child Left Behind mandate, schools that failed to achieve the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) designation for two consecutive years were required to implement a comprehensive school reform model. This change plan examined the movement from the comprehensive school reform model Success For All (SFA) to a balanced literacy framework within Harmony District 841. The framework advocated for balanced literacy instruction that supported the integration of authentic reading and writing experiences, application of literacy strategies and skills, implementation of a culturally relevant text, focus on professional development for teachers, and provision for effective instructional …

Reframing Lesson Plans: The Foundation For Improving Instruction, Carletta M. Noland

Dissertations

This dissertation is a policy advocacy document that boldly states that it is our moral imperative to change the current educational landscape for the students attending Milwaukee Public Schools. In advocating for such a change, it is strongly suggested that the way to accomplish this challenging task is to mandate a stronger instructional foundation by leveraging the power of thoughtful lesson planning and design. Through its own merit, public and professional opinions and research findings, a viable argument is crafted to eliminate the current policy that marginalizes the planning process by suggesting through its current language, that the planning process …

Increasing The Identification Of Minority Gifted Students And Achievment Levels Of Minority Gifted Students, Diana Simone

FL MED Educational Leadership Capstones

The appropriate identification and placement of minority gifted students is a topic of concern in the school district under study. Our nation and schools are more culturally diverse than ever before, and we need to make sure all students have equal opportunities to be successful. The purpose of this study is to be proactive, deliberate, and diligent about ensuring the equitable recruitment of minority students into gifted education. My study demonstrates that if the nomination form can correctly identify gifted characteristics among minority students, then teachers can make nominations to further and more appropriately grow gifted education. Using valid tools …

Changing Behavior With Character Development, Not Discipline, Tamariay Gordon

FL MED Educational Leadership Capstones

The Pine Rose School Board (pseudonym) made policy changes in discipline procedures that have affected the dynamics of safety at the Pine Rose Secondary School (pseudonym). After accepting a large number of reassigned students, it was incumbent upon the school leadership to adapt their policies and school-wide procedures to accommodate the needs of these students and staff. My project analyzes the results of the new plan and possibilities moving forward.

Increasing Academic Engagement Among Students With Emotionall And Behavioral Disorders, Colby Barrett

FL MED Educational Leadership Capstones

The achievement gap between general education students and students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders being served in self-contained classrooms at Neighborhood Lakes Elementary (Pseudonym) is staggering. The purpose of this study is to determine if giving students a voice in their educational decisions and applying methodologies of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to promote academic engagement among students with emotional and behavioral disorders will significantly increase the amount of time these students are engaged in academics. The context of this inquiry is an elementary school with a high achieving general education population and a low achieving Exceptional Student Education (ESE) population. …