Secondary Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Professional Development Needs Of Dual Credit Adjunct Faculty Instructors At A Community College In The Southwest United States, Allison Venuto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the professional development needs of dual credit adjunct faculty at a large community college in the United States. As institutions of higher education increase their reliance on adjunct faculty due to budget constraints, adjunct faculty members instruct a growing number of students. In tandem with this, more community colleges partner with local school districts to offer dual credit classes so that students can earn high school and college credit at the same time. Previous research denotes that adjunct faculty desire greater connection to and support from their institutions of higher education; however, these institutions do not consistently …

Culturally Familiar Texts To Improve Reading And Writing Outcomes For High School English Language Learners: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Taryn Courtney Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that culturally relevant pedagogical strategies are essential for improving culturally and linguistically diverse student achievement. However, there is little research about which specific strategies provide the largest impacts. And there is even less research on which strategies help LatinX English Language Learners achieve academic success in the areas of reading and writing. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of utilizing culturally familiar text, as compared to culturally unfamiliar text, on reading comprehension and summary writing outcomes for secondary LatinX ELL students. This study sought to determine if there were statistically significant differences in reading …

Educational Achievement, Engagement, And Persistence In Choctaw Nation: A Study Of The Success Through Academic Recognition Program, Suzanne Delap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has developed a unique initiative to support academic achievement within their tribal territory. The Success Through Academic Recognition (STAR) program is an example of an Indigenously-developed approach to supporting students from grades 2-12, with the hope of promoting achievement, persistence, and engagement. To study the STAR program, a mixed-methods approach was employed to first analyze quantitative demographic and performance data collected from a cohort of high school students from 2014 to 2018. Next, phenomenological interviews were conducted within the same cohort, to describe the lived experiences of STAR students within the Choctaw community. The database …

Nurturing Excellence: A Case Study Of High School Learning Environments For The Gifted, Ryan A. Mcclintock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The nuanced and complex cognitive and social-emotional needs of high school gifted learners are not sufficiently met through accelerated coursework like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate alone. Addressing their needs requires the design, implementation, and leadership of programming that maximizes their agency, curiosity, and confidence. Such programming should be fully modern in its conception and allow gifted high school students to construct and share products of their learning with respect to issues of global importance. The purpose of this study was to explore high school learning environments designed to maximize the agency, confidence, and curiosity of gifted and talented secondary …

How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional disabilities are disproportionately suspended and expelled in K-12 schools. Attribution theory suggests individuals are less likely to provide assistance to others if they believe the individuals are responsible for their own difficulties. To test attribution theory, this study created new measures of explicit attitudes and implicit associations of licensed 6-12th grade staff regarding students with depression as well as a helping behavior measure of staff toward students with depression. The survey was distributed within a single school district in the western United States. A majority of the sample (N = 52) held a mental health license (60%), …

Evaluating Perceptions Of Student Voice And School Membership Of 9th Grade Students And Teachers, Dan Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence marks a developmental period of rapid cognitive, emotional, and physical growth where teenagers are tasked with establishing an identity and strong sense of self. Students and parents often report that transition to ninth grade is a formidable social challenge amidst increased academic demands and stress, and some research suggests that females have a more difficult time in the transition to high school than males. Student voice is a range of student opportunities to interact, collaborate, and partner with adults in an exploration of ideas and perspectives. However, student voice opportunities are often only available to a select group of …

Perceptions Of Restorative Practices Among Black Girls: Talking Circles In An Urban Alternative Middle School., Vanessa Marie Mcphail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that Restorative Justice approaches have shown promise in terms of their impact on school climate, student behavior, and relationships. The purpose of this study is to explore Black female students’ perceptions of Restorative Practice (RP) talking circles at an alternative school. The study examined literature on Zero Tolerance, School Discipline Disparities, African American Female students, Intersectionality, Restorative Justice, and Alternative Schools. A qualitative case study method was used for this study, drawing from two sources: (a) face-to-face interviews and (b) observations of the Black female students who attend the alternative school and participate in the talking circles. Analyses …

A First-Year Teacher’S Implementation Of Short-Cycle Formative Assessment Through The Use Of A Classroom Response System And Flexible Grouping, Adrienne Irving Dumas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As teachers, we are tasked with ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills necessary to not only perform with proficiency on local, state and national assessments, but also to provide our students with opportunities to develop confidence and competence as learners of mathematics through meaningful, challenging and worthwhile activities. As such, many teachers have turned to technology and cooperative groups as staples in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to understand how one first-year teacher implemented what she was taught in her undergraduate coursework in teaching two specific units of instruction in two sections of high …

Ensuring A Holistic And Quality Education For Every Child: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Principals’ Transformational Leadership, Elijah Granger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have not fully examined how school leaders impact the teaching and learning environment when working toward generating students’ academic success. Balyer (2012) called for more work on understanding the transformational leadership behaviors that create conditions conducive to generating student achievement within educational accountability. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological inquiry is to explore the lived experiences of principals and their perceptions concerning the state accountability system and how it may impact their transformational efforts in ensuring a holistic and quality education for every child. The phenomenological inquiry will yield the opportunity to compare administrators’ in-depth perceptions of the accountability …

The Lived Experiences Of Black Males In Special Education: A Phenomenological Study Of Parents And Students, Ashonta Lashonda Wyatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black males rank highest among students who choose to leave school; are suspended, expelled, or kicked out of school; score poorly on tests; have low GPAs and high rates of referral and placement in special education; and are underrepresented in gifted education (e.g., NCES, 2005; Whiting, 2004) as cited in Whiting (2006a). The purpose of this study was to generate an understanding of the attitudes and beliefs related to special education referral and placement of Black males as perceived by six Black students and their parents. The focus of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of six …

African-American Males In Rural East Texas That Transitioned From Coaching Into Educational Leadership: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Andre L. Emmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological inquiry was to gain a more in depth insight into a unique phenomenon of five African- American administrators in rural public schools in East Texas that have made the transition from athletic coaching to educational leadership.Through the use of interviews, phenomenological inquiry allowed the inquirer to gain a more in depth personal account into a phenomenon, in hopes of discovering the true essence in which makes this shared, lived experience so unique. All participants in this inquiry were African-American male administrators and had at least four years’ experience as a coach before their transition …

Enhancing Access And Success Of Underserved Students In Dual Enrollment Programs, Theodore Mbaegbu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines dual enrollment activities and their impact with a focus on equitable recruitment, persistence, and targeted success mechanisms for Black students and students from low-income families. The lived experiences of four former students from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds, and the perspectives of ten dual enrollment practitioners garnered from a purposeful sampling of two Southwestern Pennsylvania universities inform the study. A qualitative approach examines interviews, focus group, and survey data through thematic investigative interpretation to yield common and unique experiences and perspectives relevant to recruitment processes, funding, support systems, and observed outcomes. The findings indicate how adequate preparation, …

The Change Process And The Implementation Of High School Jostens Renaissance Programs: A Multiple Case Study, Gregory G. English

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by the growing body of research relating to the impact school climate has on student achievement, attendance, behavior, and mental well-being, many educators have implemented initiatives and programs aimed at school climate improvement. Jostens Renaissance is one such program and was the program of focus for this study. Though Jostens has numerous publications and media sources to facilitate the sharing of ideas, there is very little information available regarding the implementation of Renaissance.

The primary purpose of this study was to identify factors that facilitated change in the process of implementing high school Jostens Renaissance programs in order to …

Tennessee High School Counselors' And Dual Enrollment Advisors' Perceptions Of Student Readiness For Dual Enrollment, Aleeta L. Shaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore Tennessee high school counselors’ and dual enrollment advisors’ perceptions of student readiness for dual enrollment within the context of school, institutional, state, and federal policies as aligned with adolescent development theories in order to inform both policy and practice. Twelve purposely sampled participants from three school districts within the First Tennessee Core Region responded to questions via a recorded phone interview. Participants reflected on the readiness of their students for dual enrollment in the academic, social, and emotional domains. Additionally, participants identified strengths and weaknesses of dual enrollment programs and …

The Correlation Between The Act, Inc. Explore Test And Student Success In High School Advanced And Advanced Placement Mathematics Courses, Virginia Story

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship between the mathematics portion of the EXPLORE test with students successes in advanced and Advanced Placement(AP) mathematics courses in high school. The data was collected from a rural Tennessee school system consisting of five years of data among graduated seniors. Analysis was completed to determine the difference between the two county high schools in advanced coursework. The findings of this study concluded a positive correlation between EXPLORE scores and the frequency of students who took advanced mathematics courses. Positive correlation between EXPLORE scores and student successes in advanced courses was …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

Effect Of Block Scheduling On End-Of-Course Test Achievement For High School Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Jose Anthony Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States over the past 25 years there has been a trend education using block scheduling in high schools (Zelkowski, 2010); however, there has been limited research into the impact that school-day schedules have on students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of traditional scheduling versus block scheduling on Algebra I, Geometry, English II, and English III End-of-Course standardized assessment achievement for high school students diagnosed with ADHD. Data were analyzed from different Southeastern Louisiana high school sites. Student Algebra I, Geometry, English II, and English III …

The Impact Of Technology On The Implementation Of Formative Assessment Lessons In Eighth Grade Math Classrooms, Lavonda White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology use has become commonplace in some mathematics classrooms, often being used for formative assessment. Research supports the use of technology to engage students, but not as much research exists to investigate the impact on student learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a statistical relationship exists between the post-lesson assessment results of students engaging in a formative assessment lesson where the teacher delivers the lesson with technology and students engaging in a formative assessment lesson where the teacher delivers the lesson without technology. The teachers administered pre- and post-lesson assessments to the students after the formative …

A First-Year Teacher’S Implementation Of Short-Cycle Formative Assessment Through The Use Of A Classroom Response System And Flexible Grouping, Adrienne Irving Dumas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As teachers we are tasked with ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills necessary to not only perform with proficiency on local state and national assessments but also to provide our students with opportunities to develop confidence and competence as learners of mathematics through meaningful challenging and worthwhile activities. As such many teachers have turned to technology and cooperative groups as staples in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to understand how one first-year teacher implemented what she was taught in her undergraduate coursework in teaching two specific units of instruction in two sections of high …

An Ethnographic Study Examining The Effect Of Teachers' Socio-Political Bias On Latinx Students And School Culture, Jessica Mcmaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academics such as Geneva Gay, Christine Sleeter, Samy Alim, and Django Paris have conducted research that illustrates the importance of educators being not only aware of the culture of their students but implementing curriculum that supports the diverse cultures of their students. A common finding among this research is that a culturally sustaining pedagogy is essential to the inclusion of all students in the classroom and the level of academic success they have in schools. This study aims to investigate the effect of teacher beliefs on the academic performance of Latinx students and on the culture and atmosphere of the …

Digital Education: The Impact Of Change, Acceleration, And Student Achievement Improvement, Sarah Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim is to understand if the implementation plan in place by the public school system is exceeding the expectations of the stakeholders or if it is falling below what is expected. This quantitative research examines the English Language Arts (ELA), Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) scores for the state of Florida with a closer inspection of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) with relation to their digital implementation plan. With an increase in digital technology and amplified emphasis on technology-based learning, the objective of this research was to determine what impact students and schools are experiencing in regards to test scores …

A Grounded Theory Survey Study Of Teachers Perception Perpetuating The Deficit Narrative About Marginalized Students Of Color, Cavel Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The deficit narrative about marginalized students of color attributes their failure in school to some nature of innate cognitive deficiency, cultural, social, and familial dysfunctions among other schools of thoughts. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to provide a rich description about this phenomenon and to propose theoretical pedagogical adjustments in the classroom as it relates to educating students of color. The study applies Charmaz (2014) Constructivist approach to grounded theory methods to examine the following research questions: (RQ1) How do teachers' narratives about students of color depict their teaching experiences and (RQ2) How do teachers' narratives about …

Institutional Factors That Affect Transfer Student Success At A University In The Mid-South Region Of The U.S., Elizabeth Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At a four-year university in the Memphis-metropolitan region of the United States, students who transfer do so with the likelihood of spending more time and money completing a baccalaureate degree than non-transfer students. This is what research scholar Kevin Dougherty (1992) entitled the Baccalaureate Attainment Gap or the transfer gap. In this companion dissertation, using a multi-method approach, we use the quantitative data of transfer student graduation and retention rates along with qualitative data from interviews conducted with administrative staff about transfer student success. We consider these selected outcomes and administrative staff interviews to be institutional factors that help shape …

A Narrative Research Study Of Self-Selected Tracking On Motivation In 10th Grade English Language Arts Classes, Audra Greuel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The practice of tracking has had longstanding negative impacts on students, especially students in lower academic tracks. This research suggests that tracking develops the themes of a narrative of deficit through inequality and exclusion and impedes student motivation due to the negative implications. A common finding of outside research studies was that of disapproval for the current school organizational structure of tracking due to the negative consequences on students. Furthermore, several research studies developed an outline of positive ways to advocate for a unifying system of educational change. Educational leaders should heed the suggestions of researchers to promote changes within …

Undergraduate Student Perceptions Of Ap And Dual Enrollment In Relation To College Readiness Skills, Ashleigh E. Norris-Shu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if undergraduate students perceived that their college readiness was impacted by participation in Advanced Placement courses, dual-enrollment courses, or both. Perceptual data were gathered from freshmen and sophomores enrolled at East Tennessee State University using an online survey. The number of participants in this study was 265. Perceptions of the individual program components of both Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment courses were also assessed in relation to college readiness. The results of the study indicated that undergraduate students perceive instructor quality and course rigor of both AP and dual-enrollment as beneficial to …

Student Voices: African American High School Seniors' Perception Of Culturally Responsive Teaching., Whitney M. Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined African-American high school seniors’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in one public high school within a large urban public-school district in the southeastern region of the United States. It begins with a brief historical overview on the plight of African-Americans in the US public education system and how public school educators have failed to leverage Afrocultural learning orientations as an asset to educate and increase the academic achievement of African-American students in classrooms. The Philosophical Aspects of Cultural Difference Framework (Nichols, 1986, 1995) will guide this dissertation study. The latter part of the dissertation reveals that a …

School Climate: A Comparison Of Teachers, Students, And Parents, James A. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the benefits of positive school climate and to measure the perceptions of school climate for intermediate grades in a Northeast Tennessee School district. An online school climate survey was used to collect responses from participants in intermediate grades and focused on the 3 major components of school climate: school engagement, school environment, and school safety. Data were collected for 2 consecutive years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Response totals included 1,955 student responses, 116 teacher responses, and 210 parent responses that were analyzed and used for this study. Of the student totals, some students that …

An Examination Of Pbis Implementation Fidelity And Student Outcomes In An Urban School District., C. Angelique Scherer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation fidelity and student outcomes for secondary schools in a large, urban school district. The state department of education placed the district under corrective action due to disproportionate suspension practices. In response to the corrective action, district administration required 24 schools to participate in PBIS training. This study is an analysis of PBIS implementation fidelity data, office discipline referrals, suspensions, and standardized test scores to determine if there were significant differences after PBIS implementation. I employed the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine outcomes …

A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Between Athletic Spending And Institutional Enrollment Measures In Fcs Athletic Institutions, Rob Mcdermand, Robert D. Mcdermand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As university budgets face fiscal challenges, it is important that university leaders make smart fiduciary choices. University leaders are quick to argue that athletics act as a front porch for universities, are a fundamental part of collegiate life, and that increased athletic funding will lead to enrollment increases and higher quality applicant pools. Critics of athletic spending, on the other hand, argue that money spent on college sports could be spent in other areas of the university.

Using a regression analysis similar to previous research, the purpose of this panel data regression analysis was to examine the relationship between intercollegiate …

Exploring Scholar--Practitioner Leadership: Superintendents' Application Of Theory To Practice In Texas Public School Districts, Michael D. Jones 6674845

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study was designed to investigate the methods of practice employed by Texas school superintendents who have completed a doctoral program centered on scholar–practitioner leadership. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how serving superintendents apply their prior learning and knowledge to the articulation and translation of their district’s mission/vision. The study described how six serving superintendents translate theory to practice by inquiring how each participant articulates the district’s mission/vision. Through the analysis of face-to-face interviews, phone conversations, emails, and informal observations recorded in a researcher’s journal, four common elements of scholar–practitioner leadership practice were …