<p> The Missouri School Improvement Plan&rsquo;s fourth standard addresses the importance of attendance to the accreditation of school districts. Because of this standard many school districts are in need of a successful plan to increase attendance; therefore, this study was designed to determine the extrinsic motivators educators use to encourage attendance and the influence the motivators have on students. The population for this study included accredited public school districts in the west central and southwest regions of Missouri. A stratified sample consisting of 45 high schools was selected from public school districts with 400 or fewer students in grades K-12 during the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 school years. From this group, 20 high school principals agreed to participate in the study. Principals completed a survey which was designed to identify extrinsic motivators used to increase attendance rates in their respective districts. Survey results indicated nine different motivators were used among the 20 schools with a final exam exemption identified as the most frequently used and most effective motivator. Attendance data from the Annual Performance Report (APR) for each participating high school were collected. The data revealed only four of the 20 high schools recorded an increase in average daily attendance in school years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015; however, the majority of the 20 high schools&rsquo; attendance rates were higher than the average daily attendance rate of the state. When attendance rates were reviewed with the survey results, there was little or no increase in attendance rates based on the number of motivators used in the participating high schools.</p>

<p> Low socioeconomic status is widespread throughout the United States (Makarewicz, 2013). Education is one factor to help people break the cycle of poverty (Payne, 2013). This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of one-to-one technology on equipping students from low-income families with the education needed to break the cycle of generational poverty. A rural school district in southwest Missouri was selected for the study. Students, parents, and educators were surveyed to gain their perspectives concerning the efficiency of one-to-one technology. Data were gathered to assess the statistical differences in English II end-of-course exam scores, attendance rates, graduation rates, and free and reduced price meal counts prior to versus after the implementation of one-to-one technology. A <i>t</i>-test was performed on the data gathered. After analyzing the data, it was discovered attendance was least affected by the one-to-one technology program. Graduation rates unfortunately dropped; however, English II end-of-course exam scores increased, and free and reduced price meal counts decreased.</p><p>

<p> Educators wax eloquently about the importance of developing leaders, and establish a variety of high school student clubs that on the surface appear to develop leadership skills, but they do not seem to really provide students with a curriculum or meaningful opportunities to develop the skills and dispositions that are required to become leaders. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate and describe how high school students feel about leadership, that is, to see how high school students define leadership, to determine their motivation behind seeking out leadership opportunities, and to see what types of experiences high school students have with leadership on and off campus. This study was conducted using both document analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews, while utilizing the theoretical framework of relational leadership. The 25 participants of this study were high school student leaders during the 2015-2016 school year who collectively represented 29 clubs at the same school site. Findings of this study reveal that participants&rsquo; understanding of leadership includes setting the example for others, guiding and leading other people, reaching a common goal, and serving others. The school environment and female family members seem to be the most powerful influences on participants&rsquo; understanding of leadership. Participants&rsquo; motivation for seeking out leadership opportunities comprise of having a desire to help or guide others, desiring self-improvement, desiring to help change the school environment, or desiring to look good. Only a handful of participants actually participated in club-sponsored leadership development programs, though some of these programs appear to be inadequate for high school students. Participants did seem to develop some amount of leadership abilities as student leaders, though it appears this was primarily due to their observations or experiences, rather than to a formal leadership development program. Findings suggest that there is a connection between the level of relationship built between a student leader and club advisor, and the student leader&rsquo;s level of leadership development. This study provides recommendations for practice and policy that can support the development of leadership skills for high school students with support from club advisors, school administrators, and district level personnel.</p>

<p> In pursuance of analyzing attendance at Midwest High School (a pseudonym), the researcher examined the attendance program&rsquo;s effect on the junior class. The goal of the researched attendance program was to find what worked in the program, what needed to be changed, and how effective was the program. In order to evaluate the program, the researcher used a software system, Pulse, to collect all quantitative data. The data system gave all numerical information covering attendance from the 2015&ndash;2016 school year. Qualitative data was used to analyze the students&rsquo; reactions and responses to the then-current attendance program. Students who were juniors in the 2015&ndash;2016 school year were asked to take a voluntary survey about the attendance program. This data was coded and used to make recommendations regarding changes to be made and essentials already within the program. A focus group was also held and led by a student at Midwest High School. The focus group&rsquo;s answers were used to elaborate upon the program&rsquo;s faults and positives. The researcher analyzed both the quantitative and qualitative data and compared answers of the students to find out what were the most popular and least popular aspects of the attendance program, along with how the students perceived the program. Additionally, the rate of attendance was measured and analyzed to validate if the program was working by examining the percentage of students attending school. The data showed the program as working, and many of the students in the survey and focus group liked pieces of the program. Overall, a theme emerged that the program worked, but changes needed to be made. The researcher suggests that incentives be added to the program and contact with parents shift from weekly to a modified grouping of students who are in need of reminders and on a bi-weekly basis.</p>

<p> This applied dissertation was designed to describe and explain the dropout phenomenon occurring in a rural high school in southeastern North Carolina. Caucasian students were dropping out at a disproportionate rate compared to other ethnic groups in the school. Over the last 4 years, 68 students did not graduate with their prospective class at the southeastern rural North Carolina high school research site; approximately 63% of those students were Caucasian, and 37% were non-Caucasian. Caucasian students were the smallest population at the selected high school (40%); however, they accounted for the highest average percentage of dropouts (63%). In 2011, Caucasian students alone accounted for 81% of the total dropouts. In essence, the largest ethnic group not graduating in this rural school district was Caucasian students. In an effort to investigate the academic, social, and home factors (strains) that may have contributed to the high dropout rate of Caucasian students, a study was conducted at the high school. The study involved investigating perceptions of professional staff at the selected high school. Professional staff completed a survey that measured perceptions as to why Caucasian students dropped out a higher rate than other ethnic groups. The general research design answering the 2 research questions for this study was a explanatory mixed-methods research design utilizing quantitative and qualitative data collected sequentially. After calculating descriptive statistics from survey responses (means and frequency of occurrence), performing a chi-square goodness-of-fit test, and conducting focus-group interviews, the results of the study indicated that professional staff members at the selected high school perceived that academic and home and community setting strains, not social strains, were the greatest influence on why Caucasian students were not graduating at the same rate as non-Caucasian high school students at the selected rural high school.</p>

<p> For many years, two international schools in Southeast Asia have had, as part of their high school curricular program, annual extended cross-cultural service-learning Outdoor Education (OE) trips in which the entire student bodies participated. The purpose of this study was to identify the educational and character development benefits to students experiencing the OE programs. The study sought to identify and describe from the students&rsquo; perspectives how the OE programs contributed to the students&rsquo; growth in social-emotional and character development (SECD), 21^st-century skills, and their schools&rsquo; global learning outcomes (GLOs). Additionally, the study sought to determine which components of the OE programs the students perceived as contributing to their growth. In this ethnographic intrinsic case study, the methodology for gathering data employed reflexive photography and photo elicitation interviews that resulted in photos submitted by students documenting their OE experiences, photo journals they kept during the trips, and transcripts of the interviews conducted soon after their trips. The student data were categorized and hand coded to identify 33 themes arranged in an explanatory schema. From the student data, 15 design-and-activity components were identified that facilitated 14 resultant design and activity outcomes. Additionally, four distinctive themes highlighted the importance of providing students with opportunities to experience collaboration, service, spiritual input, reflection, close communal living, reciprocity, and natural beauty. The components and outcomes were compared to the five aspects and selected character traits of SECD, selected 21^st-century skills, and each of the school&rsquo;s GLOs. The results of this study showed that students perceived that growth in SECD, 21^st-century skills, and their schools&rsquo; GLOs was attributable to the 15 identified components. These components worked together to create challenging conditions and tasks that students experienced, performed, and learned during the OE program. A science course analogy can be applied to OE. In this analogy, students get the lecture portion of the course at home, school, and church, while the laboratory portion is experienced through OE. During OE, students have opportunities to apply and practice the knowledge and skills they have been learning in the lectures. </p>

<p> High school capstone projects are adopted so students can increase their learning capacity and be better prepared to think critically and problem solve in the 21^st Century. However, it was not known how educational stakeholders, including students, parents, and educators, perceived the relationship between a senior capstone project and student capacities in regards to critical thinking, inquiry, problem solving, and autonomy. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how educational stakeholders at Walter High School, including students, parents, and educators, perceived the relationship between a senior capstone project and student capacities in regards to critical thinking, inquiry, problem solving, and autonomy. Five learning theories guided the study including: Bloom&rsquo;s taxonomy of learning theory, Bloom&rsquo;s mastery learning theory, cognitive and affective learning theory, 21^st century learning theory, and constructivist learning theory. The study&rsquo;s sample and methodology consisted of interviews with 12 parents, a focus group with 10 educators, and analysis of 12 student capstone projects. Stakeholders perceived that as students applied critical thinking, inquiry, and problem solving, they also became more engaged, organized, and empowered as a result of completing the senior capstone project. In terms of student autonomy, perceptions from stakeholders indicated the capstone project made students more independent and determined; parents thought their students were better leaders.</p>

<p> In this study, a high school teacher&rsquo;s applied various pedagogical, critical thinking, and reading strategies within a high school classroom. As students prepare to become productive members of a democratic society in the 21st century, some students need focused literacy instruction to meet the increasing literacy demands; students who lag behind in critical thinking have a disadvantage. This teacher&rsquo;s action research study with struggling high school readers investigated whether implementing the pedagogical Gradual Release of Responsibility model (GRR) while engaging students with intertextual texts (juxtaposing two or more texts) within a reading community increased their critical thinking skills.</p><p> The participants included 35 ninth and tenth grade struggling readers in reading classes. The researcher used Reading Plus (2014) online silent reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary assessment; Fountas and Pinnell (2014) oral reading and silent reading comprehension assessment; the Weltzer-Ward, Baltes and Lynn&rsquo;s (2008) Critical Thinking Assessment Framework (TAF); high school students&rsquo; self-reflections with teacher-made prompts; and the researcher&rsquo;s action research journal to determine and monitor high school students&rsquo; reading and critical thinking progress. Teacher-made rubric tools measured critical thinking with 10 high school student blogs in response to high school teacher-made prompts reflecting the state&rsquo;s spring standardized assessment. Within the reading class structure, the researcher created a university partnership that consisted of one education class containing students from various disciplines who communicated and offered insights and feedback throughout the high school students&rsquo; 10 blogs. The researcher offered strategies and designed the high school reading course to encourage student choice and autonomy and made teaching modifications based on students&rsquo; behavioral needs, academic progress, and struggles.</p><p> Data analysis revealed 35 ninth and tenth grade students increased their critical thinking skills over the 2014-2015 school year; however, time constraint challenges and multiple reading program components negated drawing a clear picture of which aspect held the highest value. The researcher&rsquo;s journal noted that parent communication, student conferences, flexible due dates, individualized instructional scaffolding, and the online reading program contributed to students&rsquo; critical thinking. The journal revealed a consistent teacher expectation for students to engage in the critical thinking progress.</p>

<p> Transition is a process that occurs throughout life. The focus of this basic qualitative study was on the services and programs provided to individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. This study included the exploration of participants&rsquo; experiences in the classroom and community. There was limited research on current pioneers in the area of transition services for individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 22 who returned to the public school system for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The literature review in this study included extensive research regarding the value of and many practical suggestions for designing quality transition programming to prepare each student with skills and competencies necessary for successful post-school outcomes. This study included interviews with transition coordinators, special education directors, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. The research findings include observations of transition programs within the classroom and community setting, a review of Transition Individualized Education plans. The results from this study identified the services and programs that have led to successful post-secondary options for students with disabilities and revealed the following findings, community independence, soft and hard skills, utilization of visuals to design the curriculum, real-world activities, and age-appropriate experiences. The findings of this qualitative study suggested several implications for transition services and programs for students between the ages of 18 and 22 with autism and intellectual disabilities. School districts should offer community-based programs for students with disabilities starting at the age of 14, which would be in middle school. Despite the data collected during this study, services and programs for students with intellectual disabilities and autism continue to need fine-tuning.</p>

<p> Schools are seeking to understand how to build positive school environments that help students learn and become good citizens in the school community. One practice used in charter schools is merit and demerit systems. The literature indicates that positive and negative reinforcements acts as punitive discipline that only works when adults are around students to enforce policies, rules, and expectations. One particular charter high school that used a merit and demerit system to discipline students was studied to understand the implications of such systems for students of color living in a low-income community. Using the principles of critical pedagogy, the study connected and drew inferences between teacher perceptions of discipline and how the merit and demerit system impacted student referral and punishment. A total of 12 teachers (ninth and 10th grade) participated in this qualitative study. Through classroom observations and focus groups, trends were triangulated and presented in this study. A major finding of this study involves the teacher understanding that the concept of a merit and demerit system is beneficial, but ultimately leads to a loss of student agency. The discussion focuses on explaining an authoritarianperspective and the perceptions and reality of the implementing a merit and demerit system at the high school level. Implications for educators to understand and improve school discipline policies that support students and rethink punitive and authoritarian practices are discussed. Recommendations for future research in the study are presented and summarized.</p>