Secondary Education Commons^™

Hope For Transformation: The Metaphorical Broken Window That Distinguishes High-Poverty, Low-Performing Schools From High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools., Tania P. Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the phenomenon of the difference between high-poverty, low-performing schools and high-poverty, high-performing (H-P/L-P & H-P/H-P schools through the metaphorical lens of Kelling and Wilson's 1982 Criminal Justice Broken Windows Theory. The Broken Windows Theory describes the norm-setting and beckoning effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime. Previous research found that H-P/H-P schools had a collaborative school culture. This research used elements of school culture as metaphorical broken windows. The study employed a cross-sectional phenomenology mixed methods design to examine school performance scores, school routines and school culture. Results indicate that when students experienced unstable enrollment, …

A School Of Choice: A Case Study Of An Instructional Learning Model In A Public School System, Samuel Mccord

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study focused on the understandings of the administration and teaching staff with regard to the implementation and student academic growth of the B-L Upward program. The understandings were formed from data collected through structured, face-to-face interviews. The questioning of the staff members assisted in determining an understanding of the instructional model of the B-L Upward program. The experimental nature of the B-L Upward program allowed students, primarily those graduating from eighth grade and heading into high school, to choose an alternative to the traditional secondary learning environment. The current case study is an examination of the B-L Upward …

New Criticism—Not So New To Tennessee’S High School English Teachers, Seth Grindstaff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When Tennessee Department of Education adopted Common Core in 2010, Tennessee implemented New Critical ideas associated with the college classroom, but did not present this connection to English teachers. Comparing high school education reforms like A Nation at Risk (1983) and TNCore to the New Critical works of Cleanth Brooks, T. S. Eliot, John Crowe Ransom, Robert Penn Warren, William Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley, reveals that New Criticism is the literary method grounding current ELA education reform. Referencing Deborah Appleman’s Critical Encounters in Secondary English (2015), Diana Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the Great American School System (2010), and …

Academic Resilience In Newcomers, Jacquelyn M. Carrillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States continues to transform demographically, economically, culturally, and linguistically, as it has for several generations. At the forefront of this change are the educators, struggling to make sense of how to teach students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

The main research question guiding this study was: What factors support or constrain the academic resiliency of Newcomers? The purpose of this study was to examine the academic resilience of Newcomers at an urban high school in Colorado. This qualitative study utilized case study methods of data collection. This study took place in four stages. The first stage encompassed …

The Relationship Between Metacognitive Awareness Of Reading Strategies Use And 10th Grade Students' College And Career Readiness Achievement In English Language Arts, Davida Smith-Keita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between 10th grade students’ metacognitive awareness of readings strategies use and their college and career readiness achievement in English language arts as a primary focus of research and, secondarily, the relationship between metacognitive awareness of reading strategies use and Lexile® growth as a measure of reading ability. The explanatory research design for this quantitative study included a statistical analysis of scores from the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI) (Mokhtari & Reichard, 2002), existing college and career readiness achievement scores from the 2016-2017 Georgia Milestones 9th Grade Literature and Composition summative assessment, and existing …

Per Pupil Expenditure, Graduation Rates, And Act Scores In Tennessee School Districts, Jay Irvin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify possible relationships between academic achievement, as measured by high school graduation rate and ACT composite scores of individual school districts within the state of Tennessee, and the per-pupil expenditure of each district. Research was conducted to determine whether a significant difference existed in academic achievement measures (high school graduation rate, ACT composite score) among school districts in the state of Tennessee that were classified as above average, average, and below average in relation to their per-pupil expenditure (PPE) in the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-16 school years.

Ex post facto data …

The Relationship Of School-Community Partnerships With Act Benchmark Scores In Rural Tennessee Schools, Kari Eubanks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between the quality of school-community partnerships and the average score of each ACT subtest for rural Tennessee high school students. Specifically, the researcher examined the following school-community partnerships: business partnerships, university partnerships, service learning partnerships, school-linked service integration, and faith-based partnerships (Sanders, 2006). Administrators from 62 rural Tennessee high schools rated the partnerships present in their schools using the Improving Community Partnership Quality rating scale developed by Sanders (2006). Each of these ratings was compared to the participating school’s mean score for each ACT benchmark to determine …

"It Teaches Them To Have A Conversation In The Real World" : An Analysis Of How Identity Performances Shape Classroom Discussions., Ashley Lauren Shelton Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although discussion has long played a role in classroom learning, recent focus on moving discussion away from the evaluative and toward the dialogic is key to understanding how discussion can be driven by multiple, shared understandings. Adopting a sociocultural perspective, this dissertation explores the ways in which identity performances shape one teacher and his students’ participation in classroom discussions. The theoretical framework guiding this study draws on the relationship between discourse and identities construction, with further attention given to improvisations of identities, figured worlds, and the ways in which power shapes discourse. This dissertation argues that performed identities shape the …

Teacher Passion As A Teaching Tool, Brent L. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to understand how passion is used by participating teachers at Hugo High School and if its use is intentional in the classroom. A qualitative research design was used for this study. The case study was determined to be the most appropriate method for this research because it provided an opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the research topic. This study used Fried’s definition of passion as one who is “in love with a field of knowledge, deeply stirred by issues and ideas that challenge our world, drawn to the dilemmas and …

Examining Attrition Through The Hierarchal System Of Education For Zero - Fifth Year Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study, Joshua D. Nation

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition was the focal issue of this mixed-methods study. Teachers, for a wide variety of reasons, have left the profession of education due to issues surrounding school leadership, compensation, and student behavior, just to name a few. This study intended to expand the understanding of zero through fifth year teachers, and if this population of teachers is satisfied, and staying in the field, or if they are dissatisfied. By using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the factors within in the hierarchal educational system were explored to identify which part of the educational system is connected to teacher attrition: the microsystem, …

Perceptions Of Effective Pedagogical Practices And Classroom Management Strategies: A Cross-Case Analysis Of Four Middle School Teachers, Igor Gusyakov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to identify and describe the pedagogical practices and classroom management strategies of consistently effective and successful teachers as evidenced by teacher perceptions and observations.

Four middle school teachers from two middle schools within the same school district were selected to participate in the study. The teachers were selected based on their effectiveness identified by their supervisor. The teachers were interviewed about their own perceptions as to what effective pedagogical practices are, based on their teaching experience. The teachers were also observed in their classrooms.

The key findings of the study indicated the importance of stablishing classroom procedures, …

Instructional Teacher Job Resources And Student Achievement In Mathematics., Amy Stokes-Levine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that teachers who are supported with job resources are more engaged regardless of the level of demands (Klusmann et al., 2008). Additionally, teachers who are engaged with their work are less likely to report their intention to leave the teaching profession (Klassen et al., 2012), which is particularly important for mathematics teachers who are in high demand (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016). Supporting employees with job resources is a commonly accepted practice in many professional fields (e.g., Christian, Garza, & Slaughter, 2011), yet is not a common practice in education (e.g., Bidwell, 2013; Gewertz, 2014; Layton, 2015; Rentner …

Developing Effective Classroom Environments In A High School Looping Program: A Narrative Research Study, Caleb C. Tipton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study captures the narrative of the lived experiences of four teachers as they developed effective classroom environments in a high school looping program in an Eastern Tennessee school district. The study examined the stories and reflections of the participants in order to discover teacher perception, behaviors, and attitudes that help to establish teacher-student relational involvement which produces positive academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional student outcomes. The stories collected during the narrative study provide real-life, contextual data with which other practitioners might reflect upon their own teaching experiences and practices. The study also adds to the discussion on the potential impact …

Tennessee Colleges Of Applied Technology: Student Demographics And Completion Rates, Timothy N. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between gender and race, disability status, single parent status, and economically disadvantaged status of students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced manufacturing skills programs. Furthermore, this study determined if there were significant relationships between race and disability status, single parent status, and economically disadvantaged status of students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced manufacturing skills programs. Finally, differences in completion rates between female and male students as well as differences in completion rates between white and nonwhite students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced …

Prevalence Of Communication Disorders In Children With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome On School Speech-Language Pathology Caseloads: A National Survey, Brittany V. Ratliff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is concern about the recently increasing number of infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), yet little is known about its long-term neurodevelopmental effects. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are in a unique position to comment on potential long-term consequences of NAS because their caseloads include children with a variety of communication disorders and comorbidities. School-based SLPs across the United States (N = 258) responded to a survey about the presence of children with NAS on their caseloads and their perceptions of the children’s communication disorders and comorbidities. Results revealed that children with NAS currently are being treated by …

Self-Efficacy Sources And Academic Motivation: A Qualitative Study Of 10th Graders, Salina K. Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The NAEP (2016) report shows that the performance of the country’s highest achievers is increasing in reading while the lowest-achieving students have lower scores than previous reports and are performing worse than ever. Not only are these students expected to succeed academically, these students must know how to problem solve, work in teams, and be creative. The longstanding issue of how to motivate students is not new. Motivation consists of the factors that stimulate the desire to attain a goal. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one's capabilities to carry out, organize and perform a task successfully (Bandura, 1997). …

Up From Poverty: A Narrative Non-Fiction Study Of Three Female Superintendents From Poverty, Stephanie L. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative non-fiction study was designed to investigate the lived experiences of three female superintendents in the state of Texas who have lived in poverty during their youth and early life. The participating female superintendents were contacted by this researcher through email. The information used in this study was collected from participating superintendents through interviews and analyzed to find the common themes that exist between the lived experiences of each female superintendent from poverty as she progressed through the stages of development in life. The information was also analyzed to ascertain how she was able to elevate out of poverty …

Breaking The Cycle Of Silence : The Significance Of Anya Seton's Historical Fiction., Lindsey Marie Okoroafo (Jesnek)

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the feminist significance of Anya Seton’s historical novels, My Theodosia (1941), Katherine (1954), and The Winthrop Woman (1958). The two main goals of this project are to 1.) identify and explain the reasons why Seton’s historical novels have not received the scholarly attention they are due, and 2.) to call attention to the ways in which My Theodosia, Katherine, and The Winthrop Woman offer important feminist interventions to patriarchal social order. Ultimately, I argue that My Theodosia, Katherine, and The Winthrop Woman deserve more scholarly attention because they are significant contributions to women’s …

Using Educational Data Mining Techniques To Analyze The Effect Of Instructors’ Lms Tool Use Frequency On Student Learning And Achievement In Online Secondary Courses, Jonathan Barkand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pedagogy of teaching and learning has been changing since computers were first integrated into the classroom. As technology evolves, the evaluation of the instructional tool’s effectiveness will continue to be an area of research need. The effectiveness of an instructional tool can be measured by student learning and achievement. Student learning and achievement was found to be most effective when the characteristics of active learning/engagement, frequent interaction, and feedback were present. The presence is provided by the instructor. Chickering and Gamson (1987) developed the Seven Principles for Good Practice (SPGP) in Undergraduate Education to improve teaching and learning.

The …

Black Space On A White Campus; Exploring The Relationship Between African American Students And The Physical Structure Of The University Of Mississippi, Drew Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the University of Mississippi, despite institutional efforts to distance the present from the past, issues of race continue to influence the campus and the experiences of African-American students. This thesis examines the relationship between the physical structure of the university of Mississippi campus and African American students, and investigates the creation of "counter-publics." this thesis analyzes works in critical race theory, higher education, and social geography to argue that the "whiteness" of the university of Mississippi campus creates social and educational barriers for African American students. Furthermore, along with being surrounded by "whiteness," African American students lack any physical …

A Phenomenographic Study Of Student Engagement Using Gis-Story Maps In An Eighth-Grade Social Studies Classroom, Esohe E. Egiebor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenographic study explores students' engagement using gis-story maps in an eighth-grade social studies classroom from a southeastern United States’ school district. The study answered the following questions: (1) how do eighth-grade students perceive their engagement with social studies when it is taught using story maps? (2) how do eighth-grade students perceive the relationship between gis, story maps to their own life? This study investigates students' engagement from the perspective of the students rather than the teacher. Qualitative data collection involved classroom observations, student-written reflections, and oral interviews of fourteen student-participants. The data analysis reveals that students perceive story …

Common Ground: Uniting Archaeology And Secondary Social Studies Curricula, Jeremy Allen Haas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeologists have been attempting to establish stronger connections with communities for several decades. Concepts such as stewardship can be presented to a larger audience, and archaeology can be a valuable tool for public education. Public schools across the nation are struggling to improve with limited resources. Archaeology can provide teachers with inexpensive resources that improve student learning while simultaneously helping teachers meet more rigorous standards. Using historical, archaeological, and cultural resources from the World War II Japanese American internment camp, Amache, I created a new supplementary curriculum that focused on the experience of Japanese and Japanese Americans during that era. …

Opportunity Gaps And Remediation: Can Academic Intensity In High School Level The Playing Field?, Brian J. Buddenhagen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College remediation--sometimes referred to as developmental education--has come under increasing scrutiny as policymakers have focused on the racial and economic disparities evident in academic outcomes. The courses are designed to remedy the academic deficiencies of incoming freshmen, but descriptive statistics indicate that these students fare poorly in college, and many will not persist to graduation. This phenomenon is especially pronounced in community colleges, which--due to policy decisions and open enrollment philosophies--take on a the largest proportion of students in remedial education. Considering the attention paid to remediation, the following study focuses on predictors and interventions that could potentially help educators …

Teachers' Perception Of The English Language Curriculum In Libyan Public Schools: An Investigation And Assessment Of Implementation Process Of English Curriculum In Libyan Public High Schools, Salem Altaieb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the advent of globalization and technological development, English has become a necessary tool of international communication in many areas such as education, business, politics, commerce, science, and technology throughout the world. Also, English has become the most widely taught foreign language in the world (Kachru &Nelson, 1996). Moreover, the issue of successful implementation of the English language curriculum has been the focus of a number of studies. In the case of Libya, however, little research has been conducted on teachers' perceptions of the new English language curriculum in Libyan high schools. Thus, teachers' voices have not been examined or …

Resilience Through Adversity: A Narrative Case Study Of Students' Experiences Of Expulsion From School, Nadia Coleman Krivenkov

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Expulsion from school is life changing. This single event can alter the trajectory of a student's life--for better or for worse. How life changes is unique for each individual student. Risk and protective factors that impact an individual student's resilience determine the level of positive or negative outcomes experienced as a result of expulsion. Educators have the opportunity to take advantage of this disruption in students' education to improve the trajectory of students' lives. However, without thoughtful intervention from caring educators, this interruption in students' education may have an irreparable destructive impact on students' future.

The purpose of this study …

Everything In Di Dark Muss Come To Light: A Postcolonial Investigation Of The Practice Of Extra Lessons At The Secondary Level In Jamaica's Education System, Saran Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast research examining the evolution of Caribbean education systems, little is chronologically tied to the postcolonial theoretical perspectives of specific island-state systems, such as the Jamaican education system and its relationship with the underground shadow education system. This dissertation study sought to address the gaps in the literature by critically positioning postcolonial theories in education to examine the macro- and micro-level impacts of extra lessons on secondary education in Jamaica. The following postcolonial theoretical (PCT) tenets in education were contextualized from a review of the literature: (a) PCT in education uses colonial discourse analysis to critically deconstruct and …

Student Engagement Differences By Ethnicity And Scale For Ninth Grade Students, Melissa Mcfarland Fattor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Differences on three subscales of student engagement were compared across ethnic groups and by subscale. The ninth grade is often considered a vital juncture that indicates success or failure to graduate high school. When a student goes through a transition he or she often experiences some type of change in student engagement levels and may experience adverse effects in the form of academic, social, and psychological challenges. Researchers of the National Research Council (2004) believe that the engagement process (the successful interaction between the individual and the educational context) is considered a means toward alleviating unsuccessful student outcomes. Therefore, this …

Closer To The Heart: An Exploration Of Caring And Creative Visual Arts Classrooms, Juli B. Kramer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study demonstrates how caring and creative secondary level visual arts classes facilitate the development of learning environments that enliven and expect the best of students; help them develop as autonomous and creative learners; provide them opportunities to care for others and the world around them; and keep them connected to their schools and education. It highlights how the intentions and operations of teachers impact student learning, creative risk taking, and interpersonal relations within and beyond the classroom. It also uncovers novel ways of thinking about arts education as a means to enhance positive individual and social development and vividly …

A Case Study Of Reform At One Urban High School, Linda Nadene Sorenson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our schools in America are in crisis. At particular risk are poor and minority students who attend high schools in urban areas. With so many urban high schools failing, reformers have sought ways to improve schools and increase student achievement. Effort toward urban high school reform is occurring across the United States. What happens to a school during the process of reform?

The purpose of this case study was to describe the significant events and changes that characterize one urban high school's reform efforts and analyze stakeholders' perceptions about the reform themes found in the researcher literature on high school …

Examination Of Universal Screening In Response To Intervention At The Secondary Level, Debra Allison Layland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine three means of universal screening to identify students in need of reading interventions at the secondary school level. Specifically the results of the Colorado State Assessment Program (CSAP), the Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency (TOSCRF) (Hammill, Wiederholt, & Allen, 2006) and the Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOSWRF) (Mather, Hammill, Allen, & Roberts, 2004) were used to group students in a Response to Intervention Framework of Tier 1 (needing no intervention), Tier 2 (needing intervention) and Tier 3 (needing intensive intervention). Categorization results were compared to determine the accuracy of …