Elementary Education Commons^™

Service-Learning And The Hungry And Homeless: Tangible Sensibilities Of Care Among Young Urban Adolescents, Dilafruz R. Williams

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

For over 20 years, Sunnyside Environmental School in Portland, Oregon has adopted service-learning as an instructional approach to engage young people with local communities. This report explores the voices of sixth through eighth graders illustrated by their Reflection Journals as they interacted with hungry and homeless individuals in the community. The human-scale connections resulted in tangible sensibilities of care evident in students’ reflections: dispelling stereotypes as students became open-minded, making a noticeable difference however small, developing compassion through new understandings, and taking action to correct social injustices in the communities where they live.

Nsu Certificate Of Advance Graduate Studies Curriculum 2016, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Adaptive Change For An All Boys College Preparatory Public Middle School: A Change Leadership Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

As a result of district, state, and national attention on academic achievement, as measured by state assessment tests and end of course examinations, teacher and school leaders at the school identified for this Change Leadership Project (CLP) have worked diligently to raise student rigor and achievement. However, they have used largely instructional practices that rely heavily on the work of educators rather than emphasizing the engagement of students. This CLP provides the basis for a paradigm shift in instructional practice that promotes a full understanding of the value of authentic learning, project based learning, exhibitions of mastery, and capstone projects …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Professional Development And The Impact On Elementary Principals Instructional Leadership, Isa Dearmas

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological investigation is to identify and describe professional development components that elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley perceive as having the greatest impact on their instructional leadership related to building teachers’ capacity for improving classroom instruction.

Methodology: To investigate the professional development of elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley and the impact on instructional leadership, the study will follow a phenomenological research design that includes a series of interviews. This research design will focus and describe professional development components and the perspectives of elementary school principals with regard to professional development …

A Phenomenological Study On Principal Leadership In Islamic K-12 Schools, Allen Farina

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The Muslim population in America is increasing and to meet the demand for quality religious and academic instruction for Muslim youth, Islamic K-12 schools are being established throughout the U.S. As these institutions multiply, it becomes necessary to study school board influence and leadership by principals, although literary sources appear to be sparse. This phenomenological study can be a starting point for scholarly research on this topic, as follows:

1. How do Islamic school principals describe their leadership role as administrators of Muslim K-12 schools?
2. What impact does the school board have on the leadership role of principals in Islamic K-12 …

Teacher Effectiveness And Student Achievement On Staar: Implications For School Leaders, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dr. Oliveras-Ortiz conducted a correlational study to examine the relationship between teacher effectiveness and student achievement in a north Texas school district. Results show that the issues school administrators face are much deeper than instructional practices and test preparation. Implications for practice are discussed.

Technology Integration For Common Core State Standards Implementation: Developing Differentiated Professional Development Based On The Concerns-Based Adoption Model, Tami Boatright

Dissertations

Teachers must learn how to integrate technology for CCSS implementation in an educational environment tasked with preparing 21st century students to not only survive, but thrive in a knowledge-based global society. The changes required for 21st century learning to prepare 21st century students is transformational in nature and represents a paradigm shift for many teachers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in teachers’ Stages of Concern with integrating technology for implementation of CCSS according to age, gender, and years of teaching. In addition it was the purpose of this study to use information obtained from …

Operation Fast And [We're Serious], Daniel Miedema, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D.

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

The intention of this piece is to push thinking beyond NCLB and offer a fresh perspective on how the U.S. educational system might progress in the future. Consider this a call to action to inspire and promote real change in a profession that has been restrained by federal regulations, standardization, and modest funding.

The Effect Of Distinguished Educators On Academic Gain Of Louisiana Academically Unacceptable Schools, Ruby C. Scroggins

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of academic growth of Academically Unacceptable schools in Louisiana which have been assigned a Distinguished Educator. Distinguished Educators are external change agents who are placed in Academically Unacceptable schools in Louisiana. The data were generated from the Louisiana Department of Education. The study investigated if English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics scores significantly increased in schools which were assigned a Distinguished Educator. School Performance Scores for third, fourth, and fifth grades were examined to determine growth, as well. The ex post factodesign study consisted of different school configurations which …

The Role Of Elementary School Principals Supporting Teachers In The Instruction Of Reading For English Language Learners: A Dissertation, Nadene B. Stein

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study utilized data gleaned from on-line surveys of primary level teachers and elementary school principals to understand what principals need to know and be able to do to support teachers in their instruction of reading for English Language Learners (ELLs). A review of five areas of literature provided a theoretical foundation for this study. Twenty-six primary level teachers and four elementary school principals, from eight Massachusetts schools, participated in separate, three-part online questionnaires. Participants answered questions about licensure, experience, and professional development focused on teaching English Language Learners. In addition, participants responded to questions about their perceptions of (1) …

Behind The Scenes: Understanding Teacher Perspectives On Technology Integration In A Suburban District Technology Initiative: A Dissertation, John Woolard

Educational Studies Dissertations

Efforts to prepare students with skills necessary to compete in a 21st Century global, digital economy require technological literacy, but many teachers are inhibited by antiquated models of education and epistemological beliefs that leave them reluctant to integrate educational technologies in their content instruction (Dunn & Rakes, 2010; Mouza & Wong, 2009). At the most basic level, apart from time constraints influenced by contradictory school improvement plans, elementary school teachers must contend with the barriers known to hinder the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) including: access, familiarity, training and support (Collins & Halverson, 2009, Levin & Wadmany, 2008). …

The Social Context Of Urban School Reform: Collective Efficacy And Student Achievement, Carla E. Ellis

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if between-school variance in school-level student achievement is related to collective teacher efficacy in 10 urban elementary schools in Chicago. It also examined the effects of teacher leaders’ implementation of a School-University partnership and the leadership characteristics of principals on school collective efficacy. Collective teacher efficacy was measured using Goddard’s (1998) 6-point 21-item Likert Collective Teacher Efficacy scale. There were 280 teachers and 53 teacher leaders who completed the scale. The Collective Teacher Efficacy scale results were analyzed and examined in relationship to school-level Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) test …

Character Education Seeking The Best Of Both Worlds: A Study Of Cultural Identity And Leadership In Egypt., Rania M Rafik Khalil, Nevien Mattar

English Language and Literature

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Toyota Family Literacy Program On Reading Achievement Of Kindergarten, First, Second, And Third Grade Students By Gender And Grade Level, Regina Renae Stewman

College of Education Dissertations

For the last 15 years, federal legislation has required that public schools involve parents in their child‘s education. Yet, there has been no solid definition for parent involvement (also known as family literacy) and limited research on family literacy. This mixed study examined the influence of Toyota Family Literacy, which focuses on Hispanic immigrant families, on the literacy achievement of students in kindergarten through third grade, as well as parental efficacy in helping their child succeed in school, in three Northwest Arkansas Schools. The study examined student literacy achievement by gender and grade level using the Developmental Reading Assessment 2 …

The Effect Of Leadership Style On Student Achievement In Title I Elementary Schools, Fredrick Scott Crain

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the different types of leadership styles of public school administrators of Title I elementary schools in order to determine how these different types of leadership styles may affect student academic achievement. Specifically, the leadership style behaviors of flexibility and effectiveness were considered. A casual-comparative research design was used in this study. The participants in the study included 61 principals and 301 teachers from 28 school districts in Regions VI, VII, and VIII in Louisiana. Data were analyzed using Standard Multiple Regression.

The study suggested that perceived leadership styles, flexibility and effectiveness, did …

Elementary Principals' Literacy Practices And Their Relationship To Student Achievement In Reading, Sandra Carper Cox

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Principal behavior is under intense scrutiny, particularly in light of increased demands for higher and higher levels of student achievement. Reading achievement is the measure by which schools as well as principal leadership are judged. This study examined principals' literacy practices and their relationship to student achievement in reading. Measures used for analyses included a researcher-developed survey instrument, the Principal Quality Literacy Practices Survey, and results from the grade five Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) English: Reading test.

Survey data from 109 principals and 160 reading specialists from Southeastern Virginia were utilized. Principals and reading specialists reported that overall principals' …

Mathematics Achievement Of Regular Education Students By Placement In Inclusion And Non-Inclusion Classrooms And Their Principals' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Loretta Rodgers Hartfield

Dissertations

This study examined mathematics achievement of fourth and fifth grade students in Mississippi and principals' perceptions of inclusion.

A sample of 462 students from eight separate elementary schools was selected for this study. Fifteen principals completed the Principal and Inclusion Survey regarding inclusion education. Eight of the 15 principals were interviewed with 10 open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of inclusion.

Data were analyzed using an independent two-tailed t test and Pearson product moment correlation. The independent two-tailed / test was used to determine differences in mathematics achievement for fourth and fifth grade students in inclusion classrooms compared to non-inclusion classrooms …

Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention: A Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention Programs, Diana Howell

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

School bullying has often been tacitly minimalized as a rite of passage—an unfortunate but common experience among children. In the past few years there has been an increasing awareness of school bullying as a catalyst of school violence. Parents, school boards, and administrators are understanding and taking more seriously the negative impact that bullying has on victimized students and are actively looking for ways to reduce incidents of such violence. This research provides a discussion of bullying behavior and an examination of teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs in their schools. If teachers do not feel that …

The Right Of Way: Ethical Decision Making Of Selected Elementary School Principals: A Dissertation, Jennifer Dechiara

Educational Studies Dissertations

One of the central goals of current education reform in this country has been to equalize learning opportunities and outcomes for all groups of children, including and especially those groups previously marginalized. With federal education reform mandates of the early twenty-first century, the work of schools is rigidly evaluated on evidence of achievement - not simply evidence of good processes and intentions. This high-stakes demand for universal achievement has brought several ethical aspects of school leadership, including distribution of resources and equality of educational opportunity, sharply into focus. The subject of ethics in school administration has only recently been attended …

The Effects Of Professional Development To Create Standards-Based Curriculum On Student Achievement In Fourth And Fifth Grade Mathematics Classrooms, Amy E. Mcbride Martin

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics determined there were several concepts or "standards" needed for quality teaching of math. While few dispute their importance, little support and resources are provided to help teachers understand and meet these standards. Long term professional development which focuses on how to teach with these standards could play a crucial role in improving the academic achievement of students. In this study, professional development opportunities were provided for teachers to explore the various elements of mathematics and develop a better understanding of how to teach them. The main purpose of the research was to study …

Beginning A Book Swap Room: A Quantitative And Qualitative Study, Mari Lynn Stangland

All Graduate Projects

Many children do not have adequate access to print. To rectify this in her school, the author created an ongoing Book Swap Room. The author documented the reading growth of students by looking at their reading test data in conjunction with records of the number of books traded in the Room. A family survey was used on three occasions to determine book ownership in the home of students, and a student survey was used to determine whether the Book Swap Room was achieving its desired goal of reinforcing book ownership. Though results were mixed and inconclusive, the author has seen …

Indiana Public School Superintendents' Perceptions Of Literature Based Reasons For Implementing Full Day Kindergarten, Scott Daniel Hanback

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to compare superintendents' perceptions of their reasons for implementing full day kindergarten in their schools based on twenty-seven literature based elements relative to corporation location, size, and socio-economic status. These twenty-seven elements of full day kindergarten were clustered into three independent categories: student learner benefit, social adjustment benefit, and school corporation community benefit. The population for this study was the 115 Indiana Public School Superintendents that implement full day kindergarten in their schools. The superintendents were surveyed to glean their perception as to how important the twenty-seven literature based elements were in their decision …

A Comparative Analysis Of Japanese And U.S. Teaching Styles Of Mathematics, Timothy Michael Wurdock

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This study examines the effects of different international teaching styles on the performance of junior high school students. Japanese students ranked higher than U.S. students on international tests. The whole-class method and open-ended problems are techniques frequently used in Japanese classrooms. These techniques will be incorporated into the author’s curriculum to determine their effectiveness in teaching mathematics. Two eighth grade classes will be studied. The author will teach the experimental group using the whole-class method. The control group will be taught using the American method.

Nsu Graduate Education Online Earn A Certificate In Charter Schools Administration 1999, Nova Southeastern University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Salute To Kitty Stone Scrapbook, Martha Stillwell

Alabama History & Culture

Kitty Stone, wife of JSU President Emeritus Ernest Stone, was a longtime educator who worked to improve standards in the Jacksonville School System and the State of Alabama. She began her career in Jacksonville in the 1940s as a first grade teacher at what was then known as Jacksonville Elementary Laboratory School, which was an extension of Jacksonville State Teachers College. Stone went on to serve as director of the laboratory school and JSTC's student teacher program, and later principal of the school until her retirement on 30 September 1971. The school was later named Kitty Stone Elementary School in …

Corss-Age Tutoring Program, Velma Jean Thompson

All Graduate Projects

This master's project provided a teachers~ handbook to assist in establishing a cross-age tutoring program. In addition to a philosophy statement and a review of the literature, this project also .provided forms for implementing the program and materials for training the tutors. This manual was prepared for use in an elementary school setting and contains a step-by-step approach to establish a cross-age tutoring program.

The Characteristics Of Elementary Teachers Perceived And Identified As Curricular Leaders, Celia R. Burger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of elementary teachers who were perceived and identified as being influential in curricular change by peers, principals, and district administrators. The study described characteristics which appeared to be shared by 16 elementary teachers selected from 20 elementary schools in one major school district in a Midwestern state.

Subjects were identified from responses by peers, building administrators, and district administrators to the Instructional Leadership Survey prepared by the researcher. Twenty teachers, identified as influential by all three of the surveyed groups, were considered teacher leaders in this study. Sixteen of the …

Graduate Bulletin, 1985-1987 (1985), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Nova University Graduate Education Module (Gem) Program Overview August 1984, Nova University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Summer Recess On The Reading Achievement Of Title I Students At L.C. Curry School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Virginia Scheider

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant differences between spring reading achievement scores and fall reading achievement scores in the Title I students of L. C. Curry School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and if significant differences did occur, were these differences related to grade level, IQ, sex, or reading achievement level.