<p> Supportive relationships between teachers and their students help create an environment for student success, but there remains a need for additional understanding about how to effectively promote positive teacher-student relationships in order to support stronger policy and practice in modern schools. In this qualitative analysis, I seek to deepen the research about supportive teacher-student relationships by analyzing how students, teachers, and principals described their experiences in early college high schools (ECHS) in North Carolina. Early college high schools represent a relatively new school model in which high school students earn college credits while working toward their high school diplomas. Quantitative analyses of the performance of ECHS students suggest students in early college high schools outperform their peers from comprehensive schools on a variety of measures. One important design element of these schools suggests that teachers must know students well to help them achieve academically and it is my assertion that supportive teacher-student relationships may contribute to ECHS students&rsquo; success. </p><p> For this study, I analyze qualitative data previously collected as part of a larger longitudinal study from students, teachers, and principals studying and working in 19 early college high schools in North Carolina. I employ Giddens&rsquo; theory of structuration as a lens for understanding the relationships between the agents (students, teachers, and principals) and the social structures that influence the experiences of those in the schools. I consider the leadership practices of the principals to promote supportive teacher-student relationships as well as teacher practices, and compared the adults&rsquo; claims to the students&rsquo; perceived experiences with their teachers. My findings reveal three elements in the social systems of the ECHS contribute to supportive teacher-student relationships which include the following: (1) the beliefs of teachers, students, and principals; (2) deliberate actions of principals and teachers; and (3) programs that create social spaces for such relationships to grow.</p>

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> Literacy is a national concern in the United States. Many students are graduating from high school across the U.S. lacking the skills needed to be a proficient reader. The lack of college readiness skills in reading causes these students to be placed in remedial classes on the collegiate level. School systems that recognize the high percentage of students entering high school who cannot read at their grade level can implement early interventions and provide professional development opportunities for teachers in order to increase reading achievement. Due to the culture created at the secondary level that held teachers responsible for teaching content, covering the mandated curriculum, and making adequate yearly progress, instructing students while utilizing best practices in reading instruction often was not a practical consideration. The traditional approach to literacy is not enough. It is time for teachers to acknowledge that literacy in middle and high school must be taught across all contents to lay the groundwork for literacy skills that students need to thrive in college. This study explored the effect of implementing Literature Circles in a secondary Communication Arts classroom on reading comprehension. While extensive research on Literature Circles exists, most of it focuses on their use at the elementary and middle school levels, with few studies investigating their implementation at the secondary level. However, the research establishes Literature Circles as a proven practice to assist students in making gains in reading skills. The sample population consisted of five 10th grade classes participating in Literature Circles and one 10th grade class as a control group. By implementing Literature Circles at the secondary level, the results of the data did not support the hypothesis that secondary students reading comprehension increased through participation in Literature Circles. While this study did not prove statistically any significant gains from participation in Literature Circles, observable gains occurred through the higher level of student questioning and students responding with evidence cited from the text. By implementing a classroom infrastructure that supported Literature Circles, students collaborated effectively about a text and used textual support to justify their responses to questions and to derive meaning from the text. The research from this study will add to the current body of knowledge regarding the use of Literature Circles at the secondary level.</p>

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

<p> The purpose of this case study, was to conduct research that provided an in-depth understanding of the 1-1 implementation of iPads into the senior class of two four-year charter high schools in Southern California. The problem addressed was the following: to date, there has been little definitive research to examine what works and what did not seem to work in the implementation of iPads into high school classrooms. This study describes the experiences and reflections of the participants during their first year of implementing the iPads. The participants included: administrators, staff and faculty at both schools who were interviewed, and students over the age of 18 during the last weeks of their senior year who completed an online electronic survey. All of these participants had experience with the iPad in a 1-1 setting for the 2012&ndash;2013 school year. </p><p> This study found that the culture of the school created a rich learning environment, due to the trust between participants formed from their communities of practice, which allowed for resilience in the participants while they experimented with the iPad implementation. There were more meaningful interactions between students and faculty, and the participants did not desire, or require, formal professional development. There were potential &ldquo;green&rdquo; benefits from working digitally and a &ldquo;cool&rdquo; factor that helped to engage participants. In conclusion, the culture of the school as pioneers and the shared vision of the participants, along with the nature of their training, were the factors that contributed to the success of this iPad implementation. </p>

Studies of teacher cognition and the teaching of grammar have attracted increasing research attention in recent years, yet relatively little has been published about how EFL teachers working in secondary schools teach grammar compared to what they know about their teaching. The present study considers this relationship by looking at eight teachers and investigating if their knowledge is consistent with their instructional practice. The value of this study is that it examines the current situation in grammar teaching by exploring how knowledge may influence performance in secondary school, teaching in the Libyan context. Observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the necessary data. A factual questionnaire was used to collect background information and then to choose the most appropriate participants in a sample of eight who were more and less experienced teachers and both male and female. Purposive sampling was used to select the sample. Data were transcribed and encoded for analysis according to grounded theory principles, and a framework was designed to analyse the coded data in order to triangulate the findings gathered from observation and interviews. The findings revealed that grammar was taught using different approaches and techniques, but there was no single way of teaching that worked perfectly with all classes. What did not work for one teacher worked for another in certain cases. The teachers had different levels of knowledge which was not always reflected in their classroom practice. The more experienced teachers had better practical knowledge, although all had similar levels of theoretical knowledge about teaching and learning English grammar. This study offers a more profound understanding of the complex relationship between teachers’ practice and their knowledge about teaching grammar. Different patterns of incongruence and congruence between practice and knowledge are acknowledged, such as ‘teachers knew but did not do’; ‘teachers did but were not aware that they did’; and ‘teachers did and they knew’. Some of the most interesting findings in this study have not been reported before, and it is clear that not all relationships of congruence between practice and knowledge have positive pedagogical value, and not all incongruent relationships have negative value. The rationales behind of all of these relationships between practice and knowledge were related to the complex relationship between teachers’ practice and knowledge and contextual factors. Thus, the implications of this research should benefit future EFL teachers of grammar and open doors to further research.

<p> A pilot study on the effects of mentoring on ninth-grade at-risk African American males was completed with 25 students. This study was conducted during one calendar school year. The purpose was to use mentoring as an added intervention in support of some struggling students, males in particular, who were at-risk of dropping out of school before graduation. This study was meaningful, because these students were consistently failing, and the school was looking for innovative ways to academically encourage these at-risk students.</p><p> The study was conducted at a ninth grade academy directly linked to the high school, in an urban city. This academy facilitated approximately 426 ninth-grade students. Ninety-nine percent of the students received free and reduced lunch.</p><p> The overall research question was, does volunteer mentoring affect the educational success of ninth-grade at-risk African American male students? The research methodology was qualitative. The researcher used interviews and surveys to examine the students&rsquo; expectations of the mentoring program and the results. The mentoring program took place twice a month with four volunteer mentors. The qualitative data conveyed information on 25 African American ninth-grade male students&rsquo; grades, attendance rates, and number of discipline referrals they received.</p><p> The outcomes revealed that the students, parents, and mentors perceived the pilot study of the mentoring program to help keep the students in school. However, the students and the mentors declared that the program was too short and needed more time during the sessions or more sessions. The students considered the mentors to be someone that they could talk to and look up to. The teachers were supportive of the program as an added intervention and were flexible in allowing the students to participate in the program. In conclusion, data revealed there was not a significant change in the students&rsquo; attendance, behavior, or grades as a result of the mentoring program. However, research disclosed that mentoring at-risk students does affect the educational success of students.</p>

<p> With schools having an ever-increasing interest in reducing acts of violence and reducing the incidence of out-of-school suspension, new interventions are constantly being sought. How the program is implemented can play a significant role in program effectiveness. Durlak (1998) found that many evaluation methods did not consider the implementation process because they were done after the implementation of the program. Whether an evidence-based intervention would have a positive effect depended on closely following the details of the implementation process (Durlak, 1998). This study was motivated by four research questions: (a) Was the process used to implement Positive Behavior Intervention and Support at a suburban high school? (b) Were the seven components for Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program development identified by Colvin addressed? (c) What are the adaptations that need to be made to make Positive Behavior Intervention and Support appropriate for high school students? and (d) Do staff members feel Positive Behavior Intervention and Support is having an impact on discipline at the high school level? The purpose of the study was to (a) Document how Positive Behavior Intervention and Support was implemented in a suburban high school, (b) Explore unique challenges at the high school and how the challenges are met, (c) Document the impact on discipline, school culture, teacher perception and (d) Determine if staff members feel Positive Behavior Intervention and Support is having an impact on discipline. The qualitative method is employed to explore the research questions. Staff members at the suburban high school in the study completed an 18-question survey using an online survey tool. Data were also gathered with six staff members who volunteered to participate in the face-to-face interviews. The online survey tool Survey Monkey was used to gather the data. The findings from the 18 survey questions supported the responses that provided the evidence that implementation processes were followed. The face-to-face interviews allowed the interviewees to share their personal perspectives. The themes that surfaced from the survey questions and the face-to-face interviews were similar. The importance of staff buy-in was a frequent theme that is repeated in the surveys and the interviews. Communication was another common theme. The study highlighted recommendations such as the importance of student involvement at the high school level and student participation of the leadership team for any new initiative that is being implements. Understanding the factors that can influence successful implementation was one of the most important findings of the study.</p>