Education Policy Commons^™

Community Advocate Perspectives On Addressing Equity Gaps In Florida’S Gifted Programs, Ashley Phelps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study addressed the lack of community advocate perspectives related to efforts being made to improve bureaucratic representation for minority students who were underserved by gifted programs in Florida. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of community advocates about efforts to improve bureaucratic representation for students underserved by gifted programs in Florida. The study was conceptually framed around Kingsley’s theory of representative bureaucracy. The research questions focused on community advocates’ perceptions related to diversity in Florida’s public school gifted programs and their current efforts to improve representation of minority students in gifted education …

Secondary Teachers’ And Administrators’ Perceptions Of School Discipline Practices., Amity Camilla Pope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and administrators in an urban, suburban, and rural school district on the east coast of the United States faced challenges implementing effective discipline policy interventions to manage student misbehavior. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educators about the challenges of implementing discipline policy interventions and the support needed to increase implementation effectiveness. Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) a three-tiered framework of data, systems, and practices to affect student outcomes was used to guide this study. The research questions were used to elicit educator’s perceptions of the challenges faced and supports needed when …

Justice That Heals: Transforming Discipline In Schools Through Restorative Practices, Sophia Diomande

CMC Senior Theses

Discipline is not simply a tool but a weapon — one that American educators have wielded for generations to regulate children and enforce habits of self-control and accountability. In a world where institutionalized forms of discrimination continue to plague judicial and educational systems alike, vis-à-vis the school-to-prison pipeline, the question must be asked: When does discipline stray beyond its intended purpose and into the realm of punishment? This thesis discusses the historical and contemporary implications of punitive discipline and its effects on students, particularly students of color and disabled students. Retributive policies such as suspensions, expulsions, physical restraint, and seclusions …

Appraising The Devos Tix Rule: Due Process In Campus Adjudication Processes, Athulya Nath

CMC Senior Theses

The increasing awareness and desire to fight sexual violence on college campuses have led to focusing campus adjudication processes on achieving justice. This thesis will analyze Betsy DeVos’s Title IX changes and explore whether she achieves due process protections in the new policy. This thesis will detail DeVos’s various changes – increased evidentiary standard, live hearing and cross-examination, narrowed definitions, reduction of responsible employees, and presumption of innocence for accused students – and how these changes are beneficial or detrimental to due process as a whole. This thesis will also explore the presence of rape culture on college campuses, the …

The Effect Of Mandatory Reporting Policy Knowledge On College Sexual Assault Disclosure, Amelia Ann Stanley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the association that objective knowledge of mandatory reporting policies has with recent college sexual assault survivors’ disclosure. Chi-square analyses were used to determine if any differences exist between groups of sexual assault survivors who demonstrated various levels of knowledge of mandatory reporting policies and who disclosed or did not disclose their assault to various sources. This study was a secondary analysis of a large Southern university’s campus climate survey, collected in the spring semesters of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Data from those students who indicated being a survivor of any type of …

Elementary Teacher Experiences Implementing Required English Language Arts Instructional Strategies, Amanda Slaysman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that in response to low standardized test scores, instructional strategies were required to be implemented in English Language Arts (ELA), but teachers in Grades 1 through 5 in the study site experienced challenges using these strategies to meet student learning needs. The explored teachers’ experiences and challenges in implementing required ELA instructional strategies to meet student learning needs. The study was grounded by Vygotsky’s social development theory which posited that learning occurs most effectively through peer collaboration and adult guidance. These concepts were the foundation of the required ELA instructional strategies. The research …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Special Education Teachers Engaged In Mentoring Programs For Novice Teachers, Donna M. Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Beginning special education teachers often leave the field within the first 3–5 years of employment. There is ample research available on mentoring programs for beginning teachers. However, limited research exists on mentoring programs for beginning special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice special education teachers in urban schools to broaden the current understanding regarding their perceptions of mentoring. Self-determination theory was the conceptual framework for examining the mentoring relationships and the participants’ perceptions. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposeful sample of 10 novice …

First-Generation College Graduates’ Perceptions Of Participating In Required Academic Advising Sessions For Degree Completion, Frances Paige Fowler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many first-generation students enter college underprepared, leading them to face challenges that include failure to persist to degree completion. Empirical literature informs how academic advising programs help students persist to degree completion; however, a literature gap exists related to how regularly required academic advising programs influence students to persist to degree completion. This basic qualitative study provides insight into the perceptions of first-generation college graduates regarding how their regularly required academic advising sessions helped them to persist to degree completion. The conceptual framework is Tinto’s theory of student retention, which addresses students’ academic and social integration. Eight first-generation college graduates …

State Level Mental Health Education Compared To Suicide-Related Behavior In Adolescents, 2019, Sonia Rao

Honors Theses

Objective: Determining correlations between state level mental and emotional health (M&E) education and suicide prevention (SP) education to suicide-related behaviors (I.e. feeling sad or hopeless, suicide ideation, making a suicide plan, suicide attempt, suicide attempt treated by medical personnel, and death by suicide) within high school adolescents aged 15-19 within the United States in 2019.

Methods: State level education policies, M&E and SP, were retrieved from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Self-reported adolescent suicide related behaviors were retrieved from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Data on deaths by suicide of youth aged 15-19 …

Racialization And International Security, Richard W. Maass

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Racialization—the processes that infuse social and political phenomena with racial identities and implications—is an assertion of power, a claim of purportedly inherent differences that has saturated modern diplomacy, order, and violence. Despite the field's consistent interest in power, international security studies in the United States largely omitted racial dynamics from decades of debates about international conflict and cooperation, nuclear proliferation, power transitions, unipolarity, civil wars, terrorism, international order, grand strategy, and other subjects. A new framework lays conceptual bedrock, links relevant literatures to major research agendas in international security, cultivates interdisciplinary dialogues, and charts promising paths to consider how overt …

Teacher Turnover In Urban Schools: A Comparison Of Illinois Traditional Public And Charter Schools, Taquia M. Hylton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research aimed to look specifically at traditional public and charter schools in Illinois to examine the impact of their policies and practices on educator turnover. The study elevated the voices of teachers who voluntarily left their schools due to various factors. It is incumbent upon them to review the data regarding their attrition rates and what teachers report about the structures and practices that push them to another school, district, or from the teaching profession altogether. The audiences that will benefit from this work are educational leaders and human resource teams as they create protocols for district support and …

Forest Bathing Increases Adolescent Mental Well-Being And Connection To Nature: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that practicing forest bathing has significant positive effects on well-being. However, few studies have investigated whether forest bathing increases adolescent well-being despite the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the United States. Similarly, few studies have explored forest bathing’s impacts on connectedness to nature. Considering the ongoing environmental crisis, determining if forest bathing increases connectedness to nature is a critical expansion of forest bathing research, as connectedness to nature is linked to environmental care and concern. This study investigated the possibility that forest bathing, a nature-based mindfulness practice, could increase adolescent mental well-being and connectedness to …

Uruguayan Parents' Perceptions About Educational Segregation In Uruguayan Public Elementary Schools: A Case Study, Natalia Fernández

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Educational segregation has been increasing across public elementary schools in Uruguay producing negative effects on students’ outcomes, performance, and opportunities. It also affects social cohesion. Previous studies detect the presence of educational segregation in Uruguay, identify the predominance of socioeconomic segregation in education in the country, and study the relationships between public and private institutions. A review of the extant literature demonstrates there is a gap in the exploration of the possible factors that contribute to the phenomenon. Moreover, there is a need to know the perceptions and experiences of Uruguayan families about the influence of these factors in their …

No More Prolonging Students’ Sense Of Belonging: A Content Analysis On The Issues And Resolutions Regarding Discriminatory School Discipline Outcomes For Students Of Color, Taren Renee Turner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Racial discrimination in school discipline for students of color is steeped within the history of educational institutions throughout the United States. Despite the federal law Title VI, which prohibits discrimination in schools based on race, color, or national origin, discriminatory school discipline outcomes persist and perpetuate educational inequities and continued marginalization of students of color. The issue of disparate school discipline is attributed to implicit and explicit adult biases, cultural dissonance between teachers and students, and systemic issues in school discipline policies, such as subjective and vague definitions for minor discipline infractions and wide-sweeping zero-tolerance policies. As a result of …

The Effects Of Parental Engagement Programs On Grades 3-5 Milestones Student Achievement, Deborah Malone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the Every Student Succeeds Act sets the parameters for parents and families to be involved in their children’s education, there are no specified guidelines on how that involvement should be designed to best impact student achievement. The purpose of this study was to compare Grade 3-5 students’ mean Milestones test scores in English Language Arts, mathematics, and science (dependent variables) at two Southeastern United States elementary schools which offered parental involvement/parental engagement programs—a nonmandatory or mandatory program (independent variable), represented by School A and B, respectively. The theoretical foundations of the study were the social and human capital theory …

California School Psychologists’ Advocacy Efforts Related To Contractual Caseloads, Tess A. Melendrez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the evolving role of school psychologists, policies have failed to address the high student-to-school psychologist ratios. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictability of contractual caseload advocacy among California school psychologists and their use of resources to engage in policy-oriented learning strategies. A quantitative research design was used, and data were collected from school psychologists in California (N = 138) who completed an online questionnaire. The theoretical foundation was Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith’s advocacy coalition framework. Ordinal logistic regression indicated that school psychologists’ location and job were not statistically significant predictive factors for advocacy for contractual caseloads. …

Exploring Educators' Perception Of Remote Instructional Collaboration In Liberian Higher Education Classrooms, George Wah Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public higher education institutions in Liberia have employed various mitigating measures to improve instruction quality and increase learning outcomes; however, little was known about remote instructional collaboration as a strategic approach in Liberian higher education classrooms. This qualitative study, based on Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory, explored the Liberian educators’ perceptions of and disposition to RIC in public tertiary classrooms in Liberia. Seeking Liberian educators’ perception of and disposition to remote instructional collaboration in public tertiary classrooms drove this investigation. Two groups of 17 educators based in the United States and Liberia were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol facilitated …

Teacher Perspectives Regarding Low Teacher Retention In Rural Primary Schools In Tanzania, Tumaini Urio Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tanzania, similar to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been experiencing a severe teacher shortage. The problem that was addressed is that factors influencing rural primary school teachers’ decision to continue teaching in Northeast Tanzania are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions on teaching in rural primary schools in Northeast Tanzania and the reasons why they remain. This study was guided by self-efficacy theory, a subset of Bandura's social cognitive theory. This descriptive qualitative study explored how rural primary school teachers in northeast Tanzania describe the challenges that cause them to consider abandoning …

Perspectives On Instructional Barriers To Inclusion At Primary Schools In Jamaica, Marcia Hillary Peak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractInclusive education, which is a global practice in schools, recognizes the rights of all children to equal educational opportunities, including those with special needs or disabilities; however, educators in low-income countries like Jamaica struggle with its implementation. This basic qualitative study explored teachers’ and principals’ perceptions toward instructional and curricular barriers to inclusion in primary level schools. The theory supporting this study is Bronfenbrenner’s development ecology model. Research questions focused on educators’ perspectives of instructional barriers to inclusion. Twelve participants from seven mainstream schools in a single region were interviewed. Data were analyzed using open coding to determine patterns, and …

Teachers’ And Education Leaders’ Perspectives On Using Technology To Develop Vocabulary Among Kindergarten English Learners, Nelsy J. Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch has shown that technology-mediated interventions in education can increase students’ understanding of academic vocabulary. However, it is not known how teachers provide opportunities for kindergarten English learners (ELs) to learn vocabulary using technology, and school leaders support teachers in this endeavor. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand teachers' and school leaders’ perspectives on opportunities for kindergarten ELs to use technology to develop vocabulary in an urban school in the southwest United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Cummins’s theory of basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. Using purposeful …

Higher Education, Neoliberalism, And Conflict: A Case Of The University Of Balochistan In Pakistan, Syed Amir Shah

Dissertations

The current study focuses on the role of peacebuilding in the higher education sector of Pakistan’s conflict-affected region of Balochistan. The research is an extended case study of the University of Balochistan. It addresses how the institution’s peacebuilding agency has evolved in the face of ethnic conflict and the neoliberal reforms pursued by the state during the past two decades. The research is based on the study of policy documents, official reports, and individual and focus group interviews with various educational actors.

The peacebuilding agency of the institution is theorized according to the 4Rs (Novelli et al., 2019; Novelli et …

Decolonizing A Settler Colonial State: How Canada And The United States Have Approached Investigations Into Indigenous Boarding And Residential Schools, Holly Jacobs

Master's Theses

Indigenous boarding and residential schools were in use for over 100 years in both Canada and the United States. Grown from numerous policies aimed at assimilation, dispossession, and genocide of the Indigenous peoples of North America, these residential schools had a particular aim: to wipe away all cultural and familial ties of every individual and to replace them with beliefs and values of white settlers. Though the schools are no longer in operation, their legacy of erasure and pain continues to affect survivors, their descendants, and Indigenous communities across both nations. This thesis looks at what the federal governments of …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Ells By Racial Identity: A Pilot Study, Ha Tran

Master's Theses

ABSTRACTAs racial and political tensions grow within the United States, it is not uncommon for negative teacher perceptions of English Language Learners (ELLs) to be documented in educational research. This observed phenomenon is especially worrisome for three reasons: (1) teachers’ perceptions of their students are known to affect their pedagogy, (2) teacher perception and pedagogy influences student outcomes, and (3) the ELL population continues to be the quickest growing subset within the American public-school student body. While extensive, previous research has not attempted to compare teacher perceptions of ELLs across varying racial identity groups of ELLs. Thus, this pilot study …

Characteristics Of Effective Postsecondary Advising: How Often To Meet And What To Focus On, Grace Pai, Melissa De Feo

Journal of College Access

Using data from a large-scale senior exit survey administered at public high schools in New York City, this study aims to parse out what quantitative and qualitative characteristics of postsecondary advising are most influential in predicting students’ likelihood to attend college. We apply a broader conceptual framework for postsecondary advisement that includes school-based college advising as well as parental advisement on college and career planning. Results from logistic regression analyses show receiving help in completing college applications, along with talking to a counselor and parents/guardians at least 3 times in their senior year, to be salient predictors of college-going.

Obfuscating Systemic Racism: A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis On The Operation Of Neoliberal Ideas In Media Representation Of A School District State Takeover, Trish A. Lopez, Holly Sheppard Riesco, Christian Z. Goering

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Education reform in the United States has unwisely focused attention on standards and accountability to the state as determined by standardized testing (Berliner & Biddle, 1995; Mehta, 2013). Stemming from the emphasis on standards-based accountability are the ideas of rapid school turnaround and the state’s role in this process (Peck & Reitzug, 2014; VanGronigen & Meyers, 2019). The current study employed critical policy discourse analysis to examine the media’s portrayal of the 2019 determination to continue or terminate state control of the Little Rock School District. The analysis highlights two argumentative frames—one that emphasized neoliberal values in support of continued …