<p> This qualitative study is about the experiences and challenges Black girls have while attending predominantly White high schools and what they are doing to navigate that particular space. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand more about how Black girls navigate White space as minority members of a system that was not originally intended for them. Through semi-structured interviews, Black girls were asked directly to share their lived experiences. This study hopes to illuminate and amplify the voices of Black girls and help others see them by giving them a platform to discuss and tell their stories. It also aims to create agency in Black girls by asking them to examine the challenges they face while attending predominantly White high schools and how they navigate that particular setting and make it work for them. </p><p>

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2006. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Feb. 14, 2007). Thesis advisor: John W. Haas . Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-139).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Mark Dressman. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 250-264) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Students&rsquo; low academic performance in high-poverty schools has been a prevalent problem in the United States. Educational leaders have curricular options for underperforming students to make academic gains, particularly in Title I schools. Student performance accountability is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, which was reauthorized as No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). NCLB mandates stipulate students attain academic proficiency. The purpose of the current quantitative, retrospective, quasi-experimental, static group comparison study was to determine if an increase occurred in reading achievement of 10^th grade students with implementation of a school-wide, interdisciplinary reading literacy plan intended to increase student performance on the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination. This study used multi-year, successive 10^th grade cohorts from an urban, public Title I high school in Arizona. Academic achievement data were archived and retrospective from Arizona&rsquo;s high-stakes, criterion-based examination scores. A two-sample, one-tailed <i>t</i>-test was conducted to find differences in mean value, standard deviation, and variance between two cohorts. Statistical analyses revealed a significant statistical difference on the reading portion of the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination scores between cohorts, revealing the control group outperformed the treatment group, thus challenging existing results from successful school-wide literacy plans in public Title I schools. Results indicated implementation of a school-wide, interdisciplinary reading literacy plan does not increase achievement for students on the reading portion of the state&rsquo;s high-stakes examination at a Title I urban high school in Arizona.</p>

<p> In today&rsquo;s K-12 educational environment with the newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS), improving student literacy as a foundational skill to obtain success in all other subject areas is one of the most important goals. Unfortunately, many literature curricula suffer from a lack of innovative pedagogy despite the introduction of various educational technologies meant to aid student learning. This study focused on developing a new game-based constructionist pedagogical model for literature education using tabletop role-playing game creation. Using Shulman&rsquo;s (1987) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) that eventually evolved into Mishra and Kohler&rsquo;s (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) as the main theoretical framework, this design-based research showed how tabletop role-playing game creation as a constructionist pedagogical strategy successfully helped high school students to receive the benefits of high quality literature education. </p>

No description available.

<p> This dissertation reports the results of a qualitative research project investigating an approach to composition instruction in a high school social studies course that is based on the Upanishadic concept of <i>tat tvam asi</i> (you are that). Research for this study was conducted while I taught a section of Non-West History to high school juniors and seniors. This dissertation addresses the issues involved in the teaching of writing in a high school social science course. Specifically it focuses on the issues involved when a teacher attempts to construct a class that engages students to read and write in ways that promote empathic understanding of the other. To make this argument, I collected data in the Non-West History courses that I taught in 2012. The data consists largely of writing prompts I gave students dealing with literature we read and films we watched as well as their written responses. This dissertation argues that writing in a social science class should not be limited to research papers and essay tests. Further, this dissertation argues (citing the work of Jeremy Rifkin, J. Krishnamurti, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Thomas Merton, and S. Radhakrishnan) that writing assignments should also be given that promote the empathic awareness that the self is the other. Further, I will offer a counter notion that writing in Social Studies classes should not be just about "conveying information" or "demonstrating knowledge" (<i>cf.</i> Kiuhara et al. 150). Instead, writing should be used to give students the opportunities to creatively develop new insights about their place in the world. Thus, this dissertation concludes by proposing a new model for the teaching of writing in a high school social science course. </p>

<p> The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to better understand how teachers experienced the implementation of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Interpretative phenomenology within a single case study was used to explore the experiences of the teachers as they moved through this significant reform. Thirteen teachers were interviewed and the findings were analyzed according to Van Kaam's method. The key findings are presented in the form of three continua: GVCIA: I like it...but; Leadership: From empowering to demoralizing; and Attitudes toward change: A grand adventure through don't they trust me. </p><p> Although most teachers understood the need for unifying the curriculum and appreciated the content, they were also concerned with specific aspects of the implementation, including the speed of the implementation, the lack of resources to support the change, and losing the "art" of teaching. How each specific building-level leader presented the implementation made a difference in the attitudes of the participants towards acceptance. The essence of their experience was <i>hearts in the game</i>. The shadow of<i> hearts in the game</i> was loss of passion and loss of efficacy.<i> Hearts in the game</i> means teachers were able to adjust and adapt to the new curriculum by daily remembering their mission for teaching. Leaders who trusted them to be professionals, honored what they had done in the past, and allowed some flexibility within the curriculum helped keep<i>hearts in the game</i>. Although the focus of this study was the experiences of the teachers as they adopted the GVCIA, one factor that appeared to affect the implementation was the fact that many other changes were happening at the same time.</p>

<p> The responsibility of ensuring that students are educated both academically and socially lies squarely on the shoulders of California K-12 public school district superintendents and the dominating presence of technology in everyday life necessitates that district superintendents lead a digital-age learning culture within their districts. The purpose of this survey study was to investigate and describe strategies utilized by California K-12 public school district superintendents to create, promote, and sustain, a digital-age learning culture as operationalized in the International Society for Technology in Education Standards (ISTE) for advancing digital-age leadership. A second purpose of the study was to investigate what these superintendents perceive to be the greatest challenges related to leading a digital-age learning culture and what they believe is needed to address the challenges.</p><p> A survey was administered online to the census population of 1,051 California K-12 public school district superintendents. The survey consisted of 3 background questions, 5 quantitative-based questions and 2 open-ended qualitative questions. Ninety two superintendents responded to the survey.</p><p> Analysis and interpretation of the data resulted in the following conclusions: (1) The superintendent's leadership for developing and stewarding a shared vision for technology-supported learning for all students is key. (2) Translating a vision for a digital-age learning culture for all requires superintendents to: a) prioritize funding, b) provide educators with access to current technology, and c) promote continuing learning opportunities. (3) Promoting collaboration about the use of technology within the district is another key. (4) Superintendents need more funding than currently exists in order to provide current technology, access to technology services, and professional development for educators; and, (5) There is a need for a statewide vision among state leaders, district leaders, and technology industry leaders.</p><p> Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that superintendents need to develop a clear vision, place heavy emphasis on professional development, and collaborate with the community to make funding the utmost priority.</p>