Thesis advisor: Larry Ludlow / In this dissertation study, I examined the extent to which a relational network of teachers, administrators, two-way immersion (TWI) experts and mentors promote productive communities of practice (CoP). In a conventional instruction, teachers are often isolated in their classrooms, and a private practice culture prevails. In 2012, the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools (TWIN-CS) was launched in an effort to support school reform by engaging school leaders and teachers to collectively learn toward implementing TWI models in their schools. Using the framework of communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1999), I employed a case study design (Yin, 2009) to explore a national network of Catholic elementary school educators. Data sources included qualitative data featuring semi-structured interviews and quantitative source from a relational network survey. Qualitative results revealed that organizational features of TWIN-CS are critical in promoting participants’ learning to implement TWI. In particular, participants discussed the annual TWIN Summer Academy and bi-monthly webinars to be instrumental for their learning. Many participants also shared that an expansion of CoPs beyond TWIN-CS further prompted productive learning. However, the qualitative evidence also showed a lack of clear internal and external network structures and role definition, and sustaining connection beyond the Summer Academy and webinars were perceived as a great challenge. Quantitative results suggest that TWIN-CS has a core-and-periphery network structure with the Boston College design team at the innermost core, with visibly dense ties connecting to and from them. Most teachers, on the other hand, occupy the most peripheral positions in this network. Survey evidence also showed that participants generally perceived a much stronger learning relationship within schools and showed less certainty on cross-network relationships. In terms of learning characteristics, majority of the respondents viewed knowledge sharing, trust, and advice-oriented dimensions “strongly” but perceived a lack of data-driven learning for both within school and cross-network. I conclude this study with a discussion of implications for future research and practice. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

Because several challenges exist when providing English as a Second Language (ESL) services to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such services may be overlooked in deference to other educational needs. Therefore, this study used a survey to obtain information from 121 special education teachers in the state of Utah to explore the types of ESL services offered to CLD students with ASD. Results indicated that only 30% of the special educators participating in the study provide second language services in their classrooms. Results also show that language services provided by speech language pathologists are typically provided in English only and do not address second language needs. Almost 80% of participants agree that it is important to provide ESL/Bilingual services to CLD students with ASD. Lack of training, lack of use of second-language materials and difficulty ensuring appropriate placement are cited as challenges faced by participants when working with CLD students with ASD. This study suggests that CLD students with ASD in Utah are not receiving appropriate language services. Results show the need for improvement in teacher training and provision of second language materials and resources for special education teachers.

This study examined perceptions of effective, urban, elementary general music teachers concerning effective teaching and pre-service preparation for urban, elementary general music classrooms. The study was conducted in two phases: survey and interview. Survey phase participants were experienced, urban, elementary general music teachers from different geographical areas of the United States, who had been identified as effective teachers by music teacher educators or music supervisors. Interview phase participants comprised a subset of survey participants who achieved high levels of potential cross-cultural adaptability on the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (Kelley & Meyers, 1995). A comprehensive interview instrument was administered to each participant in a collective case study research design. From the gathered data, 162 themes emerged from coded passages, with 100 themes comprising commonalities among the six interview participants. In addition to specific traits, beliefs, and strategies, the following four meta-themes emerged from an examination of commonalities: flexibility, cultural knowledge and skills, caring and responsive attitude, and musical knowledge and music teaching skills. From these meta-themes, a model of effective, urban, elementary general music teaching was generated. Findings and implications of the study were also discussed, and recommendations were made for future research.

Current demographics indicate that populations of color are on the rise across the United States. Although enrollments of students of color are increasing, first year retention rates are lower compared to their peers. Consequently, systemic changes are needed to produce changes in services and programs required by these students. Despite the modest gains in enrollment, students of color remain underrepresented at every degree level in higher education. Despite volumes of research, institutions still disregard the seriousness of the problem and continue to address retention with isolated programmatic approaches to change administrative, instructional, and advising practices with little evaluation. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument assessing the organizational readiness of state and land-grant universities to retain students of color in colleges of agriculture as well as determine what definitions of retention were used to support existing retention programs and services. Since state and land-grant institutions previously engaged in retention strategies, an ex post facto study was conducted. A census of the population was conducted, where close to half of the population responded and expressed interest in seeing study results. State and land-grant colleges were selected as participants due to their unique inability to reach higher than average retention rates of students of color, specifically in agricultural fields. Statistical tests such as t-tests and analysis of variance were used to analyze data and further refine the instrument. Reliability for each of the instrument scales was high. However, further refining must be done before the instrument will more precisely indicate where gaps are in each readiness area in colleges of agriculture. This study determined that more information is needed on which definitions of retention are used to support programs and services within the college. Further investigation should be done to ascertain why more organizational diagnostic assessments are not done in this area considering the fiscal impacts on priorities such as retention. Although respondents indicated satisfaction with the college of agriculture to meet the academic needs of students, departmental administrators and faculty were still unclear of their role with retention. These findings indicate more research in this area should be conducted.

Current demographics indicate that populations of color are on the rise across the United States. Although enrollments of students of color are increasing, first year retention rates are lower compared to their peers. Consequently, systemic changes are needed to produce changes in services and programs required by these students. Despite the modest gains in enrollment, students of color remain underrepresented at every degree level in higher education. Despite volumes of research, institutions still disregard the seriousness of the problem and continue to address retention with isolated programmatic approaches to change administrative, instructional, and advising practices with little evaluation. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument assessing the organizational readiness of state and land-grant universities to retain students of color in colleges of agriculture as well as determine what definitions of retention were used to support existing retention programs and services. Since state and land-grant institutions previously engaged in retention strategies, an ex post facto study was conducted. A census of the population was conducted, where close to half of the population responded and expressed interest in seeing study results. State and land-grant colleges were selected as participants due to their unique inability to reach higher than average retention rates of students of color, specifically in agricultural fields. Statistical tests such as t-tests and analysis of variance were used to analyze data and further refine the instrument. Reliability for each of the instrument scales was high. However, further refining must be done before the instrument will more precisely indicate where gaps are in each readiness area in colleges of agriculture. This study determined that more information is needed on which definitions of retention are used to support programs and services within the college. Further investigation should be done to ascertain why more organizational diagnostic assessments are not done in this area considering the fiscal impacts on priorities such as retention. Although respondents indicated satisfaction with the college of agriculture to meet the academic needs of students, departmental administrators and faculty were still unclear of their role with retention. These findings indicate more research in this area should be conducted.

This study relies on qualitative research: open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into the experiences of students of ethnically diverse backgrounds from three Greater Toronto Area (GTA) community colleges. Additional data were collected from college websites and meetings with college student services directors to gain a broader understanding of the context in which the ethnically diverse student is engaged. This research is guided by the psychosocial theories of student development of Chickering (1969), and Chickering & Reisser, (1993) including a brief overview of the cognitive-structural theory of student development; and the typology theory of student development. Student development theory provides insight into how life experiences shape one’s ability to learn and interact with others. An expert panel assisted with the refining of the interview questions and provided feedback on the overall study findings. In the interest of accountability, members of the expert panel were recruited based on their experience with issues around the diversity that exists within our GTA community colleges. Interviews were conducted with 25 students of ethnically diverse backgrounds to explore their overall college experience and their perceptions of the provision of student services at their college. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that the colleges participating in the study have met the participants’ expectations in the areas of overall college experience and the services each provides. In addition, it was found that the colleges have had a positive impact on student experience resulting in success. The findings also indicate that these colleges have done little to facilitate quiet learning spaces and are not providing for the religious requirements of students. This study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges students from diverse backgrounds may face when seeking out services at their college and it offers recommendations to enhance these colleges’ efforts in this area along with recommendations for further research.

This study relies on qualitative research: open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into the experiences of students of ethnically diverse backgrounds from three Greater Toronto Area (GTA) community colleges. Additional data were collected from college websites and meetings with college student services directors to gain a broader understanding of the context in which the ethnically diverse student is engaged. This research is guided by the psychosocial theories of student development of Chickering (1969), and Chickering & Reisser, (1993) including a brief overview of the cognitive-structural theory of student development; and the typology theory of student development. Student development theory provides insight into how life experiences shape one’s ability to learn and interact with others. An expert panel assisted with the refining of the interview questions and provided feedback on the overall study findings. In the interest of accountability, members of the expert panel were recruited based on their experience with issues around the diversity that exists within our GTA community colleges. Interviews were conducted with 25 students of ethnically diverse backgrounds to explore their overall college experience and their perceptions of the provision of student services at their college. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that the colleges participating in the study have met the participants’ expectations in the areas of overall college experience and the services each provides. In addition, it was found that the colleges have had a positive impact on student experience resulting in success. The findings also indicate that these colleges have done little to facilitate quiet learning spaces and are not providing for the religious requirements of students. This study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges students from diverse backgrounds may face when seeking out services at their college and it offers recommendations to enhance these colleges’ efforts in this area along with recommendations for further research.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Many Americans espouse “post-racial” conceptions of race and its role in children’s access to equitable learning opportunities; however, recent studies have illuminated the need to examine the ways in which “new” forms of institutionalized and interpersonal racism continue to hinder the schooling experiences of students in urban schools. Despite that students in urban schools are predominantly African American (27%) and Latinx (41%), the teaching force remains predominantly white (71%). Within these schools, white teachers’ lack of cultural competence and racial literacy marginalize students’ opportunities for social, emotional, and academic development and, thereby, foster racially hostile learning environments. However, cases of teachers in urban schools who create and sustain learning environments in which their students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically exist and need to be studied. This case study investigated the pedagogical beliefs and practices enacted by two highly regarded African American educators who created racially safe learning environments in two racially hostile urban elementary students. Ethnographic data was collected over a five-month period. Using constant comparative analysis within and across both cases, several significant findings emerged. Findings revealed how “new racism” manifested in the discourses, policies, and practices at both schools and, thus, illuminated the ways in which race marginalized not only the schooling experiences of African American and Latinx students, but their African American educators as well. Findings examined how each teachers’ pedagogical enactments aligned with the ideologies, beliefs, and practices associated with African American pedagogy and revealed how they fostered cultures of community, love, and achievement within their classrooms. Findings suggest that their culturally specific pedagogical beliefs and practices have the potential to create racially safe learning environments within, otherwise, racially hostile schools. Although African American pedagogical excellence is often relegated to discussions of practices needed to reach African American students, this study expands the knowledge base needed to center AAPE in discussions of best practices for teachers in urban schools. This study adds critical insights to discussions of race and its role in the schooling experiences and opportunities to learn in racially hostile urban schools.

The Culturally Responsive Special Education/English as a Second Language (ESL) program was designed to assist students from diverse backgrounds in being academically successful in a large western private university. Utilizing the Cultural Congruity Scale (CCS) and University Environment Scale (UES), this study analyzed the perceptions of 28 students who are ethnically diverse and enrolled in the Culturally Responsive Special Education/ESL Program. The data will be used to evaluate the program's success in addressing the barriers that have historically kept students who are ethnically diverse from succeeding in higher education. Participating students completed CCS and UES surveys questioning their perceptions regarding cultural congruity and how they perceived the university environment. Descriptive data based on responses to survey questions were summarized and examined. Additionally, individual survey items were examined to determine specific areas of student concern. Results from the current sample were compared against the instrument's validating normative sample to find the difference between perceptions of students from a more diverse university setting and this program's ethnically diverse students who are attending a program at a predominately white private institution. Results indicate that the students in the current sample perceive high levels of cultural congruity and positive university environment. Compared with students from a more diverse setting, the current sample perceived similar levels of cultural congruity and significantly greater perceptions of positive university environment.

The present study uses secondary data from the Positive, Engaged, Achieving Kids (PEAK) Project which was a large-scale effectiveness trial of the Social Skills Improvement System, SEL Edition Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS SEL CIP; Elliot & Gresham, 2017 [PI: DiPerna]). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of this intervention at further developing social-emotional competencies for a sample of linguistically-diverse students. Furthermore, this study aimed to understand the impact that various classroom contextual factors, such as teacher-student interactions and classroom composition, had on social-emotional outcomes, as well as the potential moderating role they served between the intervention condition and social-emotional outcomes. This research was guided by the following questions: (1) To what extent does a classwide SEL program, the Social Skills Improvement System, SEL Edition, Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS SEL CIP), improve social-emotional outcomes for a sample of linguistically-diverse students? (2) To what extent do teacher and classroom contextual factors (i.e., teacher-student interactions, teacher characteristics, and classroom characteristics) predict social-emotional outcomes for linguistically-diverse students? (3) Do contextual characteristics moderate the relation between SEL programming and student outcomes, such that the effects of the intervention are magnified for linguistically-diverse students when other contextual factors are also present in the classroom environment (e.g., quality teacher-student interactions)? Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) revealed that receipt of the SSIS SEL CIP did not serve as a statistically significant predictor of social-emotional outcomes. Teachers’ emotional support positively predicted social-emotional outcomes, while classroom organization served as a negative predictor. Teacher-student interactions (i.e., emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support) did not have a moderating effect on outcomes, but classroom composition variables did have statistically significant moderating effects such that students who received the intervention and were in classrooms with a higher percentage of racial minority or EL students had higher social-emotional outcomes. Limitations of this study which offer avenues for future research are discussed, along with implications of this study’s findings. / Psychological Studies in Education