Secondary Education Commons^™

Wise Choices? The Economics Discourse Of A High School Economics And Personal Finance Course, Tamara L. Sober

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s high school students will face a host of economic problems such as the demise of the social safety net, mounting college student debt, and costly health care plans, as stated in the rationale for financial literacy provided by the Council for Economic Education’s National Standards for Financial Literacy. These problems are compounded by growing income and wealth inequality and the widespread influence of neoliberal ideology. Although one of the major goals of economics education is to teach students to make reasoned economic choices in their public and private lives and provide the skills to solve personal and social …

Developing Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency In Algebra For High School Students With Intellectual Disability, Andrew J. Wojcik

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching students with Intellectual Disability (ID) is a relatively new endeavor. Beginning in 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the general education curriculum integrated algebra across the K-12 curriculum (Kendall, 2011; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), and expansion of the curriculum included five intertwined skills (productive disposition, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and conceptual understanding) (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001). Researchers are just beginning to explore the potential of students with ID with algebra (Browder, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Harris & Wakeman, 2008; Creech-Galloway, Collins, Knight, …

A Case Study Of Collaboration Between General Education Teachers And Special Education Teachers In A Southern Rural High School, Oassie Jean Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was framed around issues associated with the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom as these issues related to teacher collaboration. Specifically, the problem on which this study focused was that according to the principal at the research site, the general education teachers and special education teacher needed to collaborate more successfully in order to be more helpful to the students. The purpose of this case study was twofold. First, the researcher wished to determine how and to what extent collaboration practices occurred between general education teachers and special education teachers in a southern …

The Effectiveness Of Teacher Involvement In The Design Of A Writing Curriculum, Jennifer O. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

A South Texas school district, PSJA ISD was studied to demonstrate whether classroom teachers can collaborate and create an effective curriculum and resources for the students of the district. The paper will include data from the STAAR Test that has been released during 2011-2015, interviews of teachers that were part of the curriculum team, and data from the United States Census Bureau to understand the demographics of the region. Data that is included will compare the State of Texas to the district before the teacher-created curriculum was in place and after the teacher-created curriculum was implemented.

A Comparative Analysis Of Read 180 And Cultural Literacy On The Reading Achievement And Motivation Of African American Males In An Alternative High School, Clifton F. Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

Nationwide, increased accountability measures require educational leaders to develop and implement instructional practices that expedite the narrowing of the achievement gap. Legislation in several states allows states to annex low-performing schools. With such pressure, school districts are looking to educational consultants to facilitate the transformation of reading instruction, thereby raising levels of academic achievement. A thorough vetting of these interventions, however, is necessary to determine if the potential benefits can be generalized to other populations.

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to compare the reading achievement and reading motivation of two groups of African American males in an …

Poetry In The Classroom: The Why And How Of Teaching And Inspiring Students Through Poetry, Rachel Knapp Funk

Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to answer the questions “Why teach poetry?” and “How does one teach poetry? through research and personal experience in the classroom. Although many teachers struggle with teaching poetry, it is valuable in the classroom for many reasons: it is in the Georgia State Standards, it gives students a deeper understanding of the English language, and it provides students with an emotional connection to the world around them. This paper also explores the findings from my personal experiences in the classroom. My first experience included inviting a poet into my eighth grade practicum classroom and observing her interactions …

Closing The Revolving Door: A Preliminary Investigation Of The Efficacy Of A Community Of Practice Including A Same Subject Mentor Using Social Media In Increasing The Retention Rates Of Induction Year Secondary Mathematics Teachers, Beth Rexroad Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Only recently, the well-documented shortage of secondary mathematics teachers is being attributed to retention. Wenger’s Communities of Practice (CoPs) and the provision of same subject mentors have been shown to provide teachers with support, opportunities to collaborate, and a reduction in their feelings of isolation – all factors known to impact retention positively. The rapid advancement and prevalence of online social media provide easily accessible, cost effective means to connect teachers with each other and with same subject mentors.

This study investigated the primary question: What, if any, is the relationship between the retention of first-year secondary school mathematics teachers …

The Effect Of Perceived Organizational Support And Perceived Organizational Politics On Teacher Commitment: An Analysis Of Public And Non-Public Secondary Schools, Scott M. Sides

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current research was to comparatively explore and document similarities and differences in POS, POP, and teacher commitment within the two school settings (public and non-public) by analyzing the perceptions of teachers within secondary school settings within a mid-south state. Surveys were sent to teachers for completion. After the removal of seven outliers, 351 teacher surveys were included (public school teacher n = 243, non-public school teacher n = 108). To discern whether POS and POP significantly predicted organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) of teachers and how these constructs differed within the school settings (public and …

Design And Implementation Of Preparation Strategies For Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Stakeholders, Judith Josephs

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to current preparation strategies for passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test. The test preparation strategies did not meet the needs of the students. The students did not know how to use the computer to study for the test and did not know how to study at home for the test. Teachers also did not know of the availability of electronic information to enrich their lessons and increase the achievement of vocational high school students.

The researcher developed strategies to train students and teachers on Bridges Transitions (1999) testGEAR and …

Cleaning Up The Junkyard: An Exploration In Developing An Online Course, Wendi Milam

Theses and Dissertations

As America enters the 21^st century, our systems of education must adapt to the changes in culture and technology. Our visions of the modern classroom are no longer limited to a room on a campus with a professor and a blackboard Many classes are going fully online, some are meeting only once a semester if at all. This type of learning and teaching opens the door for many complex questions: What is the most effective style of web site to use? How should the instructor form the requirements of the class? What should the instructor use for academic evaluation …

A Comparison Of The Viability Of Thistle Weevils From Fire Ant Suppressed Site To Weevils From A Site Where Fire Ants Were Not Suppressed, Mary T. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

The thistle weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus, was introduced to the United States as an agent of biological control for another non-native species, the musk thistle, Carduus nutans. Musk thistle are noxious weeds of pastures which reduce forage for grazing livestock. A high weevil population is necessary to achieve control of musk thistle. The study site is situated at the southernmost boundary of the invading thistle, the thistle weevil, and another invasive non-native, the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. The research compared the viability of R. conicus from a S. invicta suppressed site to the viability from a …

Microcomputer-Based Laboratory Experiments Involving Motion And Force, John B. Cole

Theses and Dissertations

Because of the increased availability and use of microcomputers in the high school, it is extremely important for science teachers to begin to incorporate this invaluable tool in their classrooms and laboratories. Science teachers need to employ the advantages that computer-based education offers. Since studying science not only involves learning factual information and learning how to solve predetermined problems, but also directly observing and monitoring naturally occurring events, there are possibilities for the use of microcomputers in science that do not exist in other areas of study.

One of the most imaginative ways that microcomputers can be used in science …

Mathematics Achievement And Writing Assignments Among Urban Middle-School Students, Jan T. Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-seven eighth-grade students from a middle grade urban school in the southeast served as subjects for the study of whether the inclusion of writing assignments affected mathematics achievement. Total math scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills were compared before and after various writing exercises were given to one class. A comparison of the post-test means found no significant difference between the treatment and the control! group scores.

Writing In The Math Classroom: A Writing Across The Curriculum Project, Paul Steven Lee

Theses and Dissertations

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Interpretative Team for the Fourth Mathematics Assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Silver, Lindquist, Carpenter, Brown, Kouba, and Swafford, 1988) reports that performance levels for thirteen year-olds has not changed between the last two assessments. At the same time seventeen year-olds have made significant gains (Silver et al., 1988). The Interpretative Team cautions that the seventeen year-old population which made gains was the population that showed gains as thirteen year-olds. Thus, any attribution of these gains to educational reforms at the secondary level should be made with caution (Silver et …

Effect Of Journal Writing On Students' Writing Fluency, Helen Rodgers

Theses and Dissertations

his study was an investigation of journal writing and its potential effects on writing fluency among high school students. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant gain in fluency for students who wrote daily in a journal. For the purposes of this study, fluency was defined as the total number of words in a composition. Two classes of ninth grade "at risk" students were used as the subjects of this study. Both groups were assigned an impromptu essay, which provided a baseline measurement of fluency. Subjects in the experimental group were then instructed to maintain a writing journal. …

The Relationship Between Professed Student Reading Interest And Student Choice Of Reading Topics, Mary E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

One hundred seventh- and eighth-grade students in an Inner-city Georgia school served as subjects for surveys of reading interests. The two surveys were designed to gather information from students for the book topics they professed to want to read, and the actual reported topics they read. Trends of Interest by subject and sex were generated. The survey revealed reading Interests of students according to gender. Further, teacher-assigned reading and student reading interests varied to such a substantial degree that a strong case may be made for changing assigned reading to make it more in line with student interest.

A Handbook For Secondary Teachers Of Remedial Mathematics In Georgia, Diane Koart

Theses and Dissertations

Several changes affecting the context of mathematics education were identified in Reshaping School Mathematics (Mathematical Sciences Education Board National Research Council [MSEB], 1990). The need for mathematics has changed to demand a higher level of quantitative literacy. New mathematics has been discovered and types of mathematical applications have increased. The development of technology has impacted mathematics greatly. Greater mathematical skills are demanded in the work place. Better understanding of how students learn and changes in international competitiveness also affect mathematics education. These changes implied the need for a new practical philosophy of mathematics education as a basis for curricular reform. …

Success In Written Expression: A Case Study, Susan Flowers Hamby

Theses and Dissertations

In order to receive a high school diploma, a student in any Georgia high school must pass the Georgia Basic Skills Test in three areas: Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The subject of this case study is an eighteen-year-old male student who after four attempts passed the Writing portion of this test. Because this is a case study, the findings are reported in a nontraditional manner using a narrative style with first person commentary.

Much of the data in this case study were collected through interviews with the subject referred to as Tim, his mother, a school examiner, and several of …

The Development Of Secondary Education For Black Students In Columbus, Georgia 1920-1930, Becky Matthews

Theses and Dissertations

Prior to the opening of William H. Spencer High School in 1930, the highest level of public education that Columbus, Georgia, provided for its black students was nine years of industrial schooling that was designed to prepare them for jobs as manual laborers or domestic workers. The process which led to the development of Spencer High School was complex and protracted and involved a variety of organizations and individuals, but the major impetus for the building of the school came from three sources. These include consistent pressure from black community leaders, the growth of the city's black population, and the …

Thomas H. Brewer And The Struggle For Civil Rights, Earnestine Ridenour

Theses and Dissertations

The winter of 1956 was a turbulent period in the deep South. Blacks were demanding their rights and finally obtaining some of their goals at the nationa1 level. The 1954 Supreme Court decision in the Brown Topeka. Kansas Board of Education case was the prime VS stimulus.1 While the blacks in the South were feeling encouragement over this decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional, many white southerners felt anger, fear, and uncertainty about how this court decision would affect their lives.

Their culture based on racial segregation was threatened with destruction. "Separate but equal, " which had stood for sixty …

An Analysis Of The Economic And Social Values Attributed To A Variety Of Occupations As Portrayed In Adolescent Literature, Ethelyn W. Riley

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed twenty-two novels of adolescent literature which portray occupations. The purpose of this study was to determine which category of jobs was treated most often and most favorably. The jobs were placed in one of the following categories: professional work, industrial work, housework, hustling work, and counter-cultural work. Each job was then given a prestige rating of 0 to 100. Fourteen of the twenty-two novels focused on professional work, four on industrial work, three on hustling work, one on counter-cultural work, and none on housework.

The Relationship Between Home Environment And Ninth-Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, Brenda B. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

One hundred thirty-five ninth-grade students served as subjects for this study on the relationship between home environment and mathematics achievement. Each student was given a score on a home-environment questionnaire which was recorded with the student's score on the mathematics section of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. To determine the relationship between home environment and mathematics achievement the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were computed, There was a positive correlation between home environment and mathematics achievement, significant at the ,01 level for all students, for male students, for female students, and for black students. The correlation coefficient was significant …

A Chronicle Of Professional Baseball In Columbus, Georgia: 1885-1987, William W. Ridenour

Theses and Dissertations

The history of professional baseball in Columbus, Georgia, is a long and varied one. Columbus has been in professional baseball longer than most cities in the United States and its history is filled with both success and failure. National events such as wars and depressions have affected baseball in Columbus as have changes within the community itself. Attendance at professional baseball games in Columbus has varied from excellent to poor and the success of the local franchise has varied with attendance. Probably the major factor affecting professional baseball in recent years has been the increased use of television to broadcast …

Differences Between The High School Grade Point Average And The Sat Mathematics Score In Predicting Success In The Three-Quarter Mathematics Sequence At A Post-Secondary Vocational Education Institution, Steve A. Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-seven current and former Engineering Technology students at a postsecondary vocational education institution were used as subjects for a comparison of the high school grade point average and the SAT mathematics score as predictors of success in the three-quarter mathematics sequence during the first year of the two-year program: The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to compute two correlation coefficients; one between the high school GPA and the mathematics sequence average, and the other between the SAT mathematics score and the mathematics sequence average. These correlation coefficients were then compared, using a z calculation, to determine that the difference between …

A Model Literature Curriculum Guide For The Secondary Learning Disabled Student, Peggy G. White

Theses and Dissertations

This Literature Curriculum Guide has been prepared for Learning Disabled Students enrolled in special English classes at Hardaway High School in Columbus, Georgia. It was motivated by the observation that curricular materials for secondary Learning Disabled pupils were limited to content in grammar and other aspects of written language. Literature as content for these pupils had been completely overlooked.

Secondary English instruction, when using grammar only as content, is restricted to productive aspects of English. This restriction would necessarily deprive the Learning Disabled pupil of experiences with the heritage of literature shared and enjoyed by their peers. And, Learning Disabled …

Georgia's Literary Heritage: An Illustrated Literary Map Of Georgia, Betty Ostrander

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to design and produce a literary map of Georgia that would be of instructional use to English teachers in secondary schools. The illustrated map depicts the setting of major works which are placed in Georgia. Locations within the state relevant to the lives of various Georgia authors are also shown. Accompanying the map are biographical sketches of the authors. The map and the biographical information should provide teachers with support material for a study of Georgia's literature.