The purpose of this research was to determine if the variables included in the Mississippi Report Card 2003-2004 utilized for the calculation of AYP can be used to predict with accuracy greater than that which can be attributed to chance, whether or not Mississippi LEAs will attain adequate yearly progress in reading and math using the logistic regression technique. An additional goal of this study is to identify whether the inclusion of a variable representing the proportion of teachers in each Mississippi LEA with a one-year teaching certificate can notably enhance the explanatory power of the logistic regression models. This study addressed two research questions: Research Question 1: Can variables (included in the Mississippi Report Card 2003-2004) required for the calculation of adequate yearly progress be used to successfully predict Adequate Yearly Progress using the Logistic Regression technique with an accuracy greater than that which can be attributed to chance? Research Question 2: Could the addition of another predictor variable (Percentage of Teachers with One-Year Educator Licenses) notably add to the predictive accuracy of the model? This study demonstrated that using the variables utilized for the calculation of AYP, a predictive model can be successfully utilized to classify Mississippi LEAs that will and will not attain AYP in reading and math with an accuracy greater than that which can be attributed to chance. This study also established that the inclusion of a variable corresponding to the percentage of teachers in a LEA with one-year educator licenses does not add to the predictive accuracy of the model.

abstract: Much has been written regarding the dire educational state of most schools in rural America. This case study profiles two elementary school principals (preK-6) in rural New Mexico whose schools achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2009-10 school year. The focus of this study centered on specific characteristics of the school cultures addressed by the principals, and instructional best practices routinely incorporated by teachers into the daily curricular program that have produced successful student outcomes and earned each of their schools AYP standing for the 2009-10 academic year. The methodology used to determine research findings was performed in three parts: Principals of AYP rural New Mexico schools were asked to complete an online survey on educational leadership according to the standards and functions of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). The respondents chose either Almost always, To a considerable degree, Occasionally, Seldom, or Never according to the degree they deemed the leadership function necessary to the successful operations of their schools. The survey results were arranged into tables preceded with explanations and statistical analysis. Interviews were conducted with the two rural elementary school principals along with selected teachers and parents from each school. The researcher made on-site visitations and kept notes of the observations and interactions with staffs from each school. The main findings of the study arose from the results of the surveys and interviews conducted with individuals from the two focus schools. The researcher arranged data according to the leadership categories that emerged from the interviews. The survey results were divided into two categories: favorable (Almost always and To a considerable degree) and unfavorable (Occasionally, Seldom, and Never categories). The results for each leadership standard and related function were reported in terms of statistical significance according to frequency counts in the two categories. Finally, there is a review of current literature focused on principles of educational leadership and rural education, demographic information about the profiled schools, and conclusions with further recommendations for future studies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2012

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived impact of No Child Left Behind on elementary science classrooms in 3 Northeast Tennessee school districts. Quantitative descriptive methodology was used to document how No Child Left Behind impacts instructional methodology, professional development, administrative support, materials and resources, and assessment in 3rd through 5th grades. Data were collected using a survey developed by the researcher. The survey consisted of a demographic section, 28 statements, and 2 open-ended questions. The 51 participants included elementary-school science teachers in 8 schools in 3 upper East Tennessee school districts. Data analysis was based on the following demographics: differing levels of teaching experience, No Child Left Behind school status, and small and large schools. Findings included: The 3 greatest concerns of the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act were the pressures felt by teachers to increase test scores, the manner in which it impacted at-risk or disadvantaged students, and the lack of inservice, specifically for science. Findings also revealed that low- scoring schools or grades were receiving extra assistance and teachers reported they feel that their school or district fosters and supports change. An analysis of the open-ended questions emphasized the stress teachers reported feeling along with the loss of science instruction time to math and language arts.

Increased accountability has led to increased pressure on administrators to meet AYP. By identifying strengths that are present in successful administrators, superintendents will be better equipped to make well-informed selections and administrators can target specific areas for professional growth. This study used a self-assessment created from the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment to analyze the strengths of principals and the commonalities in those strengths based on (a) percentage of adequate yearly progress (AYP) achieved, (b) grade levels served (middle school or high school) and (c) community served (urban or suburban). It is important to note that community served is not meant to indicate the socio-economic status of a school, but instead whether schools reside within census defined urban areas. It was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the ranking of principal strength of input based on the adequate yearly progress achievement of the school. There was also a statistically significant difference between the principals' ranking of both the strengths of communication and harmony based on grade level served and strengths of achiever and responsibility based on community served. While other strengths did not show statistically significant differences among various groups, their overall rankings are provided and discussed.

The focus of this research was to examine the professional learning of school instructional and administrative staff as they focused on the elements of becoming a professional learning community. Existing research examined the components and behaviors collectively or independently. This research describes the relational data between the critical elements of focus, the leader, teams, and individual teacher as related to student achievement. It was determined through the literature review and results of this study that there were constructs of professional learning communities that were related to student achievement. In particular, a statistically significant relationship between proficiency in reading and teacher reflection was found. Additional behaviors of teachers and leaders were discussed in relation to increased student achievement. Suggested uses for the study included the consideration of practices by leaders in creating professional learning communities that support student achievement. An additional suggestion was the utilization of reflective practice and action research as means for increased student achievement.

When Democrats and Republicans crafted the 2002 No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the bipartisan reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), they did so with the best of intentions: Close our nation’s staggering achievement gap with federal leadership, accountability, flexibility, and choice. But a over a decade later, many argue the law’s flaws have outweighed its successes to detriment of our public education system, schools, teachers, and most importantly, our students. In accordance with ESEA’s traditional reauthorization cycle, NCLB was signed into law in 2002 and expired in 2007. It is now 2013, and our nation’s education policy still has yet to be reauthorized. In examining how this can be accomplished, this paper first demonstrates how our tradition of local school control developed into one of dual jurisdiction. It then examines the executive and legislative battle that produced NCLB in the 107th Congress. Next, this paper analyzes the intended and unintended consequences of NCLB, which include conflicting conservative and liberal mechanisms, perverse incentives, narrowing and homogenizing education, inadequate resources, ignoring community issues, and seeking annual educational profit over qualitative learning. The paper concludes with an outlook on reauthorization–how NCLB should be substantively improved, as well as, the political context in which this reauthorization will occur.

ABSTRACT SCHOOL SIZE, SCHOOL POVERTY AND SCHOOL-LEVEL MOBILITY: INTERACTIVE THREATS TO SCHOOL OUTCOMES by Sharon M. Thompson School-level mobility is the flow of students moving in and out of schools and has been defined as the rate of student entries and withdrawals per 100 students enrolled in a school during the year (Pike & Weisbender, 1988). Stakeholders report that school mobility disrupts the delivery, pace and effectiveness of classroom instruction, causes problems associated with classroom adjustment, and renders long-term negative effects on schools’ Adequate Yearly Progress rankings (Bruno & Isken, 1996; GAO, 2007; Kerbow, 1996; Lash & Kirkpatrick, 1990; Rhodes, 2005; Sanderson, 2003). Despite these findings very few studies have been conducted to determine the effects of mobility (particularly at the school level) and how it combines with other school-level factors such as school size and school poverty to create threats to positive school outcomes. Of the few relevant studies (e.g., Bourque, 2009; Rhodes, 2007), little attention has been given to understanding mobility’s relationships to achievement in the context of size of student enrollment, degree of poverty and longitudinal examination of achievement across multiple years. To address these gaps in the research literature, this study investigated the effects of school-level mobility on middle school reading achievement after controlling for the effects of school enrollment and poverty. Findings from regression analyses indicated significant relationships between school-level mobility and reading achievement over and beyond the relationships between school size or school-level poverty with achievement. A repeated measures procedure was used to analyze long-term effects on eighth grade reading achievement for Title I middle schools that focused on three, key variables: degree of school mobility (e.g., high versus low rate), size of student enrollment (e.g. big versus small school), test administration year(s) (e.g., 2006, 2007 and 2008) and interactions between these variables. There were significant main effects for school size, school-level mobility as well as for the year of test administration. Reading test scores rose significantly from one year to the next, big schools out-performed small schools , and highly mobile schools performed significantly lower than low mobile schools in reading achievement over a three-year period. No significant interaction effects were found. Results are discussed in terms of research and policy implications.

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers and administrators hold differing beliefs about grade retention. School districts in Northeast Tennessee participated in this study. Participants in eight school districts took an online survey designed to collect data on beliefs about grade retention. The survey consisted of two sections. Section A inquired about beliefs about grade retention. Section B collected demographic information and also included an openended response question. Respondents were also asked to choose a factor that has the strongest influence on their belief. Responses from 205 surveys were analyzed and informed the results of this study. A quantitative study was conducted to determine if significant differences about grade retention existed between teachers and principals. Overall belief scores were measured to determine if teachers and administrators favor grade retention as an effective intervention strategy. Independent variables in this study included: type of system, grade level, years of experience, and type of degree. Factors that had the strongest influence on beliefs about grade retention included: other people’s opinions, principal’s opinion, research, experience with a retained student, or other. Respondents choosing other were asked to explain their answer. 3 Findings from the study indicated that there is not a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between teachers and administrators in a city school system versus a county school system. Additional analysis did not show significant differences in beliefs about grade retention between teachers in grades kindergarten through fourth grade (K-4) versus teachers in grades fifth through eighth (5-8). A teacher’s or administrator’s number of years of experience did not indicate significant differences in beliefs about grade retention. The type of degree held by teachers and administrators did reveal a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between the two degree types (graduate or bachelor’s). Results from this test indicated that teachers with a graduate degree significantly favor retention over teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, an overall belief score for all respondents was calculated for significance. Overall belief scores showed that, in spite of the research showing retention as a negative practice, both teachers and principals are significantly in favor of grade retention as an effective intervention strategy.

A total of 278 teachers participated in this study. This study was designed to examine how teachers from “distinguished” (high performing) and “needs improvement” (low performing) middle schools perceived the roles of their principals as instructional leaders who could provide schools with the necessary leadership characteristics for school improvement. This study also examined if differences existed among teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ roles based on school type and demographics (gender, age, years of work experience, and educational attainment). The principal leadership questionnaire (PLQ) was used to collect data based on the five factors: identify and articulate vision and provide inspiration, foster acceptance of group goals, provide appropriate model, provide intellectual stimulation, and provide individualized support. Cronbach alpha was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument. Data were analyzed using mean scores, percentages, t-tests and ANOVA. The findings indicated that the participants had positive perceptions with strongly agreed to agreed responses on most of the questionnaire items indicating that teachers perceived their principals should possess the characteristics associated with instructional leadership. Female participants consistently agreed with higher mean scores on all five PLQ factors than did male participants. The researcher recommended that further research and a longitudinal study be conducted on this topic to examine and compare leadership preparation programs in Georgia and other states across the nation and to determine the long-term effects of instructional leadership roles on student achievement.

In 2003, Mid-County North High School (pseudonym), a large suburban, rather affluent school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act. The school's special education population was unable to meet the proficiency requirements of the Mid-County's state, and as such received a "failing" label from the state. The irony in this is that North High School (NHS) and the Mid-County District have a documented legacy of excellence -even on the very assessments upon which the "failing" assessments were based. This single-site, qualitative case study, was designed to investigate the real-life dilemmas, ethical, professional, and personal, that the school leaders at NHS and in the Mid-County School District encountered after the school did not make AYP. The perceived internal pressures caused by the possible competition of a school leader's personal and professional values, as well as the necessity for leaders to guide their school toward making AYP, were investigated. In addition to internal pressures, the study attempted to uncover the perceived pressures faced by the leaders within the organizational structure of the school and school district, from the community, media and government. In addition, the study was designed to unveil school leaders' reactions to these perceived pressures. This study used semi-structured interviews with 12 school leaders, including central office and building level leaders, as well as teachers, a parent, and a school board member. In addition to interviews, pertinent documents, and artifacts were analyzed. The interview and document data were then coded using a qualitative analysis program, TAMSAnalyzer. The constant comparative method (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) was used to analyze the data in terms of the study's two theoretical frameworks: Turbulence Theory (Gross, 1998) and Multiple Ethical Paradigms (Shapiro and Stefkovich, 2001). The data revealed three dominant themes: (a) Turbulence Happens: School Leaders Are Forced to Respond to Externally Imposed Accountability in the Era of NCLB and AYP; (b) Flight School: School Leaders' Ethical Codes and Experience Prepare them to Navigate Through Turbulence; (c) Pilot to Co-Pilot: School Leaders Communicate, Collaborate, and Innovate to manage the Turbulence of Not Making AYP. / Educational Administration