Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / This thesis has been developed to help set up criteria to evaluate the writLen language area of an elementary school. The criteria consist of specific statements indicating desirable conditions and procedures in the written language area of the elementary school program. Such statements should furnish a means for teachers to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of their own work.

<p> As a result of federal legislation (ESSA, 2015) accreditation ratings of elementary schools are based on the performance of third through fifth grade students on the end of year assessments in the content subjects of reading and math. As a result of these requirements schools that fail to meet these standards are identified as Accreditation Denied in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Once a school receives this designation certain requirements are mandated by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to assist in the improvement efforts toward accreditation. Two of these requirements are the implementation of a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan and the formation of a School Leadership Team. Schools and School districts implement a variety of approaches to the responsibilities of team members and the required components of school improvement planning. As a result of these approaches, toward school improvement processes and distributed leadership responsibilities, research confirms that when both are aligned with the needs of the school population improvement goals increase and accreditation ratings improve (Ahearn, 1998; Anfara et al., 2006; Benolieil, 2017; Bush &amp; Glover,2012; Cain &amp; Gunter,2012; Darling- Hammond et al., 1995; Dufour, 2004,2008; Elmore,2014; Fernandez,2011; Freeman &amp; Wilmes, 2009; Gronn,2000; Harris 2004,2008; hayge et al., 2014; Huber &amp; Conway,2015; Leithwood et al., 2004; Louis, 2015; Mintrop &amp; MacLellan,2002; Rigby,2013; Smylie,1992; Spillane, 2005; Wallace,2002). This study determined, through an instrumental case study, what the role of the school leadership team is in relation to the school improvement process in schools denied accreditation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The theoretical framework of distributed leadership was used as the foundation for the conceptual framework for this study. This study provides a systematic approach to the development of the school leadership team through the distributed leadership framework and professional development for the School Leadership Team in the Instructional leadership responsibilities in elementary schools denied accreditation.</p><p>

I conducted two studies on the comparative effects of the observation of learn units during (a) reinforcement or (b) correction conditions on the acquisition of math objectives. The dependent variables were the within-session cumulative numbers of correct responses emitted during observational sessions. The independent variables were the observation of reinforcement for correct responses as the control condition and the observation of corrections for incorrect responses. Eight 11-year-old target participants, 3 females and 5 males, were selected to participate in Experiment 1, during which a counterbalanced simultaneous treatment across participants design was used. Target participants and non-target peers were presented with math objectives that were not in repertoire. The non-target peers received feedback in the form of either reinforcement or a correction in 2 separate conditions while target students observed and received no feedback. Results from Experiment 1 showed that all of the target participants mastered the 3 math objectives presented during the observation of the correction condition and 7 of the 8 target participants mastered the objective during the reinforcement condition. Target participants met criterion with significantly fewer numbers of observing opportunities during the correction condition than during the reinforcement condition. Experiment 2 was a replication of Experiment 1 with greater experimental control. Six target participants, 4 females and 2 males, 10-year-olds, were selected to participate in Experiment 2, in which a between subjects counterbalanced reversal design across conditions and math objectives was implemented. Results showed that all target participants mastered 18 out of 18 math objectives presented during the correction condition and target participants mastered 10 out of 18 objectives presented during the reinforcement condition.

Textual responding or a see print and say sound response, often called "decoding," is a key component of reading. Teaching letter sounds and how to say these sounds together as words is a repertoire that allows students to become independent readers (McGuiness, 2004). However, some students have difficulty with blending letter sounds to read words (Carnine, 1997). Spelling is the reciprocal process to textual responding (McGuiness, 2004). To spell, an individual must segment component sounds in a word to write the correct graphemes. In two experiments, the experimenter tested the effects of the acquisition of matching component phoneme sounds to the words they comprise and vise-versa using an experimenter designed computer-based auditory match to sample (MTS) instructional program on textual responding and spelling of words with taught phonemes, and the rate of acquisition of new textual responses. Participants in Experiment I included 6 kindergarten students and 3 preschool students who required many instructional trials to meet textual responding objectives. Participants in Experiment II were 2 students (one kindergartener and one second grader) diagnosed with autism and 3 kindergarten students. Participants did not read words composed of letter sounds they had mastered. Results of Experiments I and II demonstrated a functional relation between the auditory matching program and textual responding and rates of learning for all participants. Results are discussed from the perspective of the Verbal Behavior Developmental Theory (VBDT), in terms of the importance of verbal developmental cusps and the joining of listener and speaker repertoires in textual responding and spelling.

<p> The educational connoisseurship and criticism method was used to research the challenges elementary teachers go through each day. This study's findings are taken from observations and interviews with three veteran elementary teachers who have experienced challenges and burdens due to the intensification of their jobs, student behavior, parental involvement, and teacher pay. Veteran elementary teachers were chosen as participants, as they have been through many changes that often happens in education and are able to provide insight that only veteran elementary teachers can provide. The results showed that although elementary teachers have many challenges, they are still able to find a sense of presence, bringing their whole self into the moment, in the classroom and a level of existential joy in teaching. These veteran elementary teachers reveal how having a sense of humor helps to keep their sense of presence. Also, elementary teachers find moments when the mandated curriculum needs to take a back seat while they reconnect with their students.</p><p>

本研究以"教学性解释"这一课堂会话形式为研究对象，调查小学数学课堂教学中教学性解释的数学丰富性特征和结构特征，以及它们与学生学习的关系。其中，数学丰富性是指课堂教学活动与数学内容的相关程度,以教学性解释中的学术词汇比例和教学性解释的概念水平为指标。 / 本研究数据源于项目"课程改革的成效──教师课堂教学实践变化"（Ni, Li, Cai, & Hau, 2009），选取使用新课程教材的17名小学数学教师及其1013名学生作为研究样本。教学性解释来源于这17个班级的51节课录像（每个班级3节课录像，教学内容为"分数运算"）。同时，也对学生的认知学业表现（计算、简单问题解决和复杂问题解决）和数学学习的情感表现（学习兴趣、课堂参与、数学观、交流素养）进行了两次测查。 / 研究一考察了教学性解释的结构特征。研究结果表明：小学数学课堂中教学性解释主要是教师进行引导，由学生来提供解释，教师的引导方式包括提问引导和回应性引导。就引导水平而言，教师将选择性引导、产品性引导、过程性引导和元过程引导这四种不同水平的引导方式相结合，其中高水平的引导方式（过程性引导和元过程引导）所占比例近四成，教师倾向于让学生表达观点和看法，提供解释，并且对自己的观点进行论述。 / 研究二考察了教学性解释的数学丰富性特征。研究结果表明：教学性解释的学术词汇比例和概念水平可以作为数学丰富性的两个有效指标。小学数学课堂中教学性解释的丰富性水平较高：绝大部分教学性解释是数学解释，并且原理性解释是比例最高的数学解释。 / 研究三考察了教学性解释的结构特征与丰富性特征与学生学习结果的关系。研究结果表明：教学性解释的丰富性对学生简单问题解决能力表现具有正向预测作用，但与学生计算能力表现呈负相关，同时，与学生复杂问题解决能力表现的关系更为复杂，受到学生原有的知识和技能水平的调节作用。教学性解释的丰富性与学生的数学兴趣、数学观和交流素养呈现负性相关。 / The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the mathematical richness and structural features of instructional explanation in 17 primary mathematics classrooms, and their relations to students’ cognitive and affective performance in learning mathematics. Mathematical richness in the present study refers to the extent to which classroom instruction is related to mathematics, or the extent of doing or talking mathematics in classroom instruction. The indicators of mathematical richness of instructional explanation included the ratio of academic words and conceptual level of instructional explanations. / The data source of the study was from the project "Has curriculum reform made a difference? Looking for change in classroom practice" (Ni, Li, Cai, & Hau, 2009). The current study selected 17 primary mathematics classrooms and the 1013 students from the database. 477 episodes of instructional explanation were identified from the 51 videotaped lessons of the classrooms (3 lessons for each class). The content of all 51 lessons was about division with fractions. The identified episodes of instructional explanation were analyzed in terms of the indicators of mathematical richness. The students’ achievement data included two times of assessment on three aspects of cognitive performance (calculation, simple problem solving, complex problem solving) and four aspects of their indicated attitude towards mathematics and learning mathematics (interest in learning mathematics, classroom participation, views of mathematics, literacy about mathematical communication). / Study One analyzed the structural features of instruction explanations in the 17 primary classrooms. The results indicated that teachers were used to guiding the students to provide explanations when constructing instructional explanation in the mathematics classrooms. Teachers’ elicitations consisted of questions and responsive elicitations. Four levels of elicitation were identified. They were choice elicitation, product elicitation, process elicitation and metaprocess elicitation. The higher levels of elicitations (process and metaprocess elicitation) accounted for a significant amount in the classrooms. The teachers tended to let students express their views, provide explanations and arguments of reasoning. / Study Two investigated the mathematical richness of instructional explanations. The results showed that the ratio of academic words and conceptual level of instructional explanations could be valid and useful indicators of mathematical richness. The mathematical richness of instructional explanation was high for the observed classrooms in terms of the two indicators. Majority of the instructional explanations were mathematical and involved mathematical concepts and principles. / Study Three examined whether the richness and structural features of instructional explanation were able to predict student learning outcomes in the cognitive and affective domain. The results indicated that the mathematical richness positively predicted students’ simple problem solving performance, but was negatively related to students’ computation performance. Furthermore, its relation to students’ complex problem solving performance was complicated, which was moderated by the students’ prior status in the knowledge and skills. Lastly, mathematical richness was negatively associated with students’ indicated interest in learning mathematics, view of mathematics and literacy about mathematical communication. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 鄒君. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-172). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Zou Jun.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The focus of this study was to create a living portrait of the work life ofliteracy coaches, a new and evolving occupation for staff developers. Coaches with expertise in literacy curriculum, instruction, and assessment have been hired to work with teachers and administrators in urban elementary schools and help them to improve instruction for urban youth. Coaches, teachers, and principals in four northeastern cities participated in this study. Coaches were observed, interviews were conducted, and participants were asked to provide samples of student work, schedules, or other documents that were used to triangulate data obtained from observation and interviews. Of the five coaches in the study (three part-time, external coaches and two fulltime, internal coaches), reports indicate that two of the part-time coaches were most successful. Supervisory or administrative responsibilities, particularly identification and remediation of problematic teachers, created an obstacle for both of the full-time coaches. It created the perception among other members of the faculty that the coaches were forcing a top-down agenda for change. The effectiveness of the principal as an instructional leader, the coaches' ability to manage their daily work, the personality of individual coaches, and process by which they choose to engage teachers also had an effect on their ability to promote change. The successful coaches appealed to the intrinsic motivation of teachers to improve instruction by explicitly demonstrating how some practices are beneficial to students. Having gained the initial commitment of teachers, the successful coaches focused on helping teachers to internalize strategies that would allow them to become more reflective about their practice and better able to adapt instruction to the diverse needs of their students. The successful coaches were working in districts with organized reform initiatives, and were working in schools with principals who were knowledgeable about, and dedicated to literacy reform. Their principals had created time for teacher collaboration and professional development to be part of the teachers' workday. / 2031-01-01

This study explored how the integration of science and literacy in an elementary school classroom impacted the conceptual learning and understanding of first grade students. This study was explored around two research questions 1) How do students respond to the weather activities after being exposed to scientific read-alouds? 2) How will the impact of center based science inquiry on students reading comprehension and conceptual understanding of science knowledge change when the teacher engages students in scientific inquiry through the use of centers? Data was collected over a three-day period when the teacher was conducting a weather unit. It was found that through the literacy integration process and use of centers, the students were able to gain a deeper conceptual understanding and procedural fluency of the science topic.