The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that self-evaluation, self-listening, and modeling have on junior high school instrumentalists' music performance and practice attitude. Eighty-two seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students were randomly assigned to one of eight groups in the 2 x 2 x 2 pretest/posttest factorial design. Participants prepared three brief musical excerpts during 15-minute in-school weekly practice sessions and at home. Three adjudicators independently evaluated both pretest and posttest performances using the Woodwind Brass Solo Evaluation Form. Practice attitude was assessed by having students complete the Practice Attitude Questionnaire after each practice session. A general linear model repeated measures analysis with multiple dependent variables was performed to determine relationships among the variables. Results indicated that students who listened to a model recording improved their performance more so than students who did not listen to a model in the areas of tone, technique/articulation, rhythmic accuracy, tempo, interpretation, and overall performance, but not in the areas of intonation or melodic accuracy. A significant interaction between modeling, self-evaluation, and test was also discovered. Students in the Model/Self-Evaluation treatment group improved their performances more than the No Model/Self-Evaluation group in the areas of tone, melodic accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, interpretation, and overall performance. Also, there were no differences in scores between the Model/No Self-Evaluation and No Model/No Self-Evaluation for any performance subarea. In regard to practice attitude, no statistically significant interactions or main effects were found in the data. This indicates that mean practice attitude scores remained constant throughout the duration of the study for all of the groups and also that the treatment groups did not differ from each other in terms of their attitude about the procedure at any time during the treatment period. Furthermore, each group exhibited a favorable attitude toward their particular practice strategy.

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between principal leadership style and teacher empowerment. The principal leadership styles, transformational and transactional, were measured using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ; Bass & Avolio, 1995). Six subscales of teacher empowerment, as identified by Short and Rinehart (1992), were measured using the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES; Short & Rinehart, 1992). This study was conducted in a large urban school district in the southwestern United States during the Spring of 2002. Subjects in this study were high school teachers who were serving on their high school's school council. Teachers provided their perceptions of their principal's leadership style and their own empowerment through their responses to the MLQ and SPES. They also provided information regarding the content of the meetings through their responses to a survey designed by the researcher. Seven hypotheses were tested using multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, regression analyses, and t-test. Significant positive correlations between transformational leadership and each of the empowerment subscales were observed. A significant negative correlation was observed between transactional leadership and the subscale Self-Efficacy. Marginally significant negative correlations were observed between transactional leadership and the other empowerment subscales. Significant relationships were observed between transformational leadership and the meeting content questions that addressed the frequency with which issues related to budget, curriculum and instruction, and facilities and operations were discussed. Significant relationships also existed between transformational leadership and the frequency with which council recommendations were carried out. Principal leadership style as reported by the teachers was not found to be significantly different among the principals in this study and all principals demonstrated higher levels of transformational than transactional leadership. Educational researchers have called for the practice of transformational leadership by principals, and for the empowerment of teachers, suggesting that they are essential to educational reform. This study confirms that significant positive relationships exist between transformational leadership and teacher empowerment, and demonstrates marginally significant negative correlations between transactional leadership and teacher empowerment.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> Previous literature suggests that academic achievement and self-concept among adolescents in the general education population are positively related (e.g., Huang, 2011). For students with disabilities, however, the correlation between academic achievement and self-concept is sometimes negative and non-significant (Daniel &amp; King, 1995; Feiwell, 1997; Houck &amp; Houck, 1976; Young, 1990). Limited research has investigated the relations between academic achievement and self-concept of students with disabilities and few studies consider this relation over time. This study design included four features to address the gaps in the literature: 1) methods appropriate for complex data sets; 2) use of latent constructs; and investigation of differences 3) between genders and 4) among the categories of disability. </p><p> Three questions were investigated: What are the relations between self-concept and academic achievement over time among adolescent students with disabilities? What are the differences in these relations among male and female adolescents with disabilities? What are the differences in these relations among adolescent students with emotional disturbance (ED), intellectual disabilities (ID), and learning disabilities (LD)? </p><p> In a secondary analysis of the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) database, cross-lagged longitudinal panel path analyses were used to explore the relations among the overall sample of 14-year-olds as well as of males-only, females-only, ED-only, ID-only, and LD-only subgroups. Additional procedures were used to account for issues due to missing data, non-normality of distributions, and clustered, stratified, and disproportionate sampling. </p><p> Results of the study suggested that the relations between academic achievement and self-concept were complex. In the overall sample, no significant relations were found. When split by gender, the data indicated nearly equal but opposite path coefficients from self-concept at Time 1 to academic achievement at Time 2. The paths from academic achievement at Time 1 to self-concept at Time 2 obtained statistical significance among the ED-only (positive) and LD-only (negative) groups. The subgroup differences in the relations between academic achievement and self-concept suggested that more subgroup analyses need to occur. None of the study's hypotheses were fully supported by the data. The recommendations for practice, policy, and research are presented.</p>

<p> It is a well-documented finding that high school students in schools across the nation, including California, fail to achieve at the proficient level in mathematics, based on standardized test scores. The purpose of this research study was to compare the findings of students taught using traditional instructional methodologies versus cooperative learning methodologies. The study was conducted in four ninth grade Algebra I classes on a South Los Angeles high school campus, which has 1,700 students. Of the student population, 110 students participated in the study. The researcher utilized descriptive statistical analysis as a means to review previous student standardized test scores to determine baseline performance. After the treatment, a district adopted assessment was administered and used as a post-test to gather quantitative data to compare the scores of students who were taught using cooperative learning methodologies versus those who were taught using traditional methodologies in Algebra I.</p>

<p> Jazz education within academia is still young, yet many educators have been recognized for successful leadership of high school jazz ensembles. Directors of finalist bands from the 2012 Essentially Ellington competition, a national opportunity hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center, completed a questionnaire and interview regarding their pedagogical techniques and supplemental methods. All participants responded that listening to recordings and the fostering of peer mentoring are crucial elements. Other important techniques include singing, sight reading, rhythmic exercises, and the use of blues improvisation as a warm up activity. Important supplemental factors included personality traits such as intense, detail oriented, energetic, and fun, while participants noted the positive experiences and techniques learned from events with Jazz at Lincoln Center. In conclusion, leaders of successful high school jazz ensembles share several techniques, qualities, and behaviors, yet there is no single formula for a great high school jazz ensemble director. </p>

<p> This dissertation explores the confluence between transformative learning (TL), education for sustainability (EfS), and Expeditionary Learning (EL). The researcher has studied the experiences of EL graduates from three high schools and asked the question: does participation in an EL high school result in transformative learning? If so, what are the elements that compose this (or series of) transformative learning experience(s) and what learning structures within EL specifically support TL? These transformative learning experiences include changes in identity, paradigmatic or mental modal change, and/or behavior change. Lastly, the research reveals sustainability-supportive qualities of graduates that emerge from the transformative learning experiences. Results from the research indicate there are three learning realms from which students experienced transformative learning experiences. These realms included: community, academic challenge in the real world, and deep experience of people and place. The research uses grounded theory as the overarching methodology to study data from an exploratory case study, as well as to guide the data collection and interpretation process. Objectives for this study were threefold: 1. Increase understanding of the impact of EL practices on its graduates, with specific emphasis placed on transformative learning experiences; 2. Investigate the process of transformative learning 3. Understand the relationship between EL graduates' TL experiences and sustainability-supportive qualities of graduates </p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to address the gap between the available wealth of resources and the dearth of character education currently in practice at the high school level by investigating if secondary teachers' knowledge of character education information, their beliefs toward character education preparation and their perceived role as an educator relates to their use of character education practices on the school campus and in their own classrooms. The participants consisted of 103 secondary teachers employed in six comprehensive high schools in an urban Southern California city. The researcher developed The Character Education Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices survey instrument to collect data for this non-experimental correlational study.</p><p> Descriptive statistics and frequency scores found that teachers are not familiar with existing character education information, strongly believe in their role as character educators, strongly believe that preparation would enhance their practice, and do not frequently practice character education school wide strategies but frequently practice character education in their classrooms. Multiple regression analyses found teachers' school wide practice of character education to be significantly associated with their knowledge of character education information. Two-way analysis of variance tests found no differences exist between gender groups and years of teaching experience for any of the variables except in the case of classroom practices which found a significant interaction effect between males teaching eight to 15 years and males teaching 16 years or more.</p><p> The implications of this study highlight the importance of recognizing teachers' strong beliefs in their role to educate for character and their perspectives toward the value of preparation to enhance the practice of character education. The results not only clarity the gap that exists between theory and practice of character education but also suggest that more prevalent opportunities to educate teachers and future teachers in character education may be the next step to move toward a more comprehensive approach to character education. </p>