This dissertation examined teaching and curricular practices that have had an impact on the academic achievement of freshman and sophomore students taking introductory courses in math, science, technology, and engineering (MSTE). A large proportion of undergraduate students intending to pursue MSTE majors switch to other majors after taking introductory courses in math, biology, physics and other courses that constitute a requirement for science and engineering degrees (Astin, 1993). This investigation utilized quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the academic performance of students at a large public research university. In the quantitative phase, two efficiency indices were computed for eleven course sequences for MSTE majors using student cohorts from 1993-1999. The ICE index is the average number of attempts it takes a cohort of students to pass a introductory (gateway) course. An index closer to 1 indicates an efficient course, since an index of 1 means that all students passed the course in the first attempt. The ICE2 index measures the rate of success of students taking the second course in a gateway sequence. The ICE 2 index ranges from 0 to 1. An ICE2 index of 1 for the targeted gateway course is ideal, indicating that every student who passed the first gateway course took and passed the next course in the curricular sequence with a grade of A, B, or C on the first attempt. The qualitative phase of this study consisted of twelve interviews of the faculty and instructors who teach the same courses analyzed in the quantitative phase. In addition, four faculty members who held administrative positions in the MSTE disciplines were interviewed. The purpose of the interviews was to unveil teaching and curricular practices that have had an impact on students' academic achievement. The resulting trends of the efficiency indices failed to demonstrate an improvement in students' academic achievement as measured by the indices, except for three gateway course sequences: Computer Science, Biology, and Management Information Systems. The qualitative phase helped to unravel a myriad of not only faculty's innovations and achievements but also their concerns surrounding practices regarding the introductory courses.

This ethnographic, teacher research case study focuses upon Valerie Clarie's return to school after surgery from brain cancer, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Situated in a whole language classroom, Valerie is entering her fifth year of school in a southwest public school system. Prior to this study, Valerie was placed in a traditional classroom setting receiving services on a pull-out basis from the special education resource teacher. This study was initiated during an attempt to mainstream Valerie into her whole language classroom on a full-time basis. It critically examines Valerie Clarie's special education and whole language classroom settings and curriculum. Utilizing work samples, journals, medical records, and school records, this study questions the appropriateness of each of these settings for Valerie, and seeks to discover which setting supports Valerie best in her academic and social pursuits. The study is additionally concerned with identifying Valerie's strengths as a learner. These strengths are documented and maintained using alterative assessments utilized in her whole language classrooms. Additional topics addressed in this study include issues of literacy, social structures of school, hegemony, special education curriculum, whole language curriculum, standardized testing, and brain cancer.

The purpose of this study was to identify the current level of implementation of site-based decision making (SBDM) in middle schools in a large Southwestern urban school district. These middle schools were in the process of establishing elements of the middle school concept as defined by the district. Implementation of site-based decision making had brought the responsibilities of daily decision making and problem solving as well as the challenge of making decisions about middle school philosophy much closer to the classroom. Implementation of SBDM in these middle schools had also brought an increase in the amount of teacher involvement in the deliberations that affected their lives in school. The primary purpose of SBDM may not be to improve student achievement but to improve the quality of life for the various staff who are responsible for improving student achievement. The instrument employed in this study measured the degrees to which teachers and staff perceived their actual and desired levels of participation in SBDM. It is necessary to measure growth and progress of SBDM for administrators to create a focus for future planning. The survey information indicated key areas of importance to school staff and served as a determinant of the climate in the district's exemplary middle schools. Administrators must delegate leadership roles and trust pedagogical expertise to teachers. The change in paradigms to transformational leadership allows for this empowerment of teachers and the possibility for SBDM to emerge. SBDM gives the decision-making community a sense of ownership of the innovation. Leadership practices potentially contribute to the outcomes to which schools aspire for students. Teachers' actual and desired levels of participation in SBDM differed substantially on almost every item in each subscale of the survey instrument. Desire for more participation was indicated in the areas of curriculum, instruction, goal setting, standards, staff development, and staffing. Less interest in participation was exhibited in budget management, evaluation, and making decisions about staff development. Respondents did not consider their sites to be strong examples of the district's middle school concept.

Educators have long recognized that the average deaf high school graduate achieves only a third to fourth grade level education. Because of the low achievement of deaf children in America, there has been a growing interest in the concept of educating deaf children bilingually, acknowledging the value of American Sign Language (ASL) and English in the classroom. In recent years, there has been a move in the field of deaf education in Europe, Canada, and the United States toward the adoption of a bilingual-bicultural (BiBi) model for language and literacy instruction for deaf students. However, because very little research has been done on ASL/English instruction and methodology, Fernandes (1997, p. 2) states, "There is ongoing reluctance in the United States to capitalize on deaf children's bilingual, bicultural capacities in promoting literacy and competence." Although several research studies have investigated the relationship between ASL and English literacy acquisition and have provided strong theoretical support for educating Deaf children bilingually, there is still a lack of study on practical strategies or "how-to's." Furthermore, the teacher-training programs in Deaf Education historically have not attracted potential applicants with fluent ASL skills and knowledge of bilingualism and literacy. Most of the programs strongly emphasize medical-pathological views rather than appropriate pedagogies that access and build upon deaf students' linguistic and cultural knowledge. Hence, this dissertation addresses practical strategies for teaching deaf students by analyzing teachers' retrospective stories on their experiences with implementing a new bilingual model in their classrooms. As adapted from Livingston's claim in her book, Rethinking the Education of Deaf Students (1996), in light of our goals, we wish to address the dire need for prospective teachers and teacher educators to rethink their views of us, Deaf people, and in doing so, rethink the theoretical underpinnings of their teaching methodologies in teacher education programs and schools.

This teacher research takes place in an inquiry based, intermediate, multiage classroom in Tucson, Arizona. The purpose of this research is to explore how students and teacher determine a new class focus through the use of a broad concept to make decisions about curriculum. In particular, this research examines the process of negotiation the teacher and students create to make connections from a previous class focus in order to discover a new focus of study. As a qualitative study, this teacher research employs the data collection techniques such as the use of field notes, reflective journals (both teacher and students), transcripts from discussions from negotiation meetings, student interviews on teacher role, and analysis of children's written artifacts. Triangulation of the data allowed for an in-depth analysis resulting in thick description of the planning conferences for a new class focus. This study focuses on the role and process the teacher takes within the negotiation period. There is an examination of how the teacher looks at (1) the organizational structures, (2) focus lessons, (3) structures for reflection, (4) facilitation, and (5) kidwatching. This study also focuses on the roles and processes of the students within the planning conference when determining a class focus. There is a look at how the students (1) make decisions, (2) listen and organize, (3) assume different roles in discussions, and (4) work toward an understanding among each other. The findings of the study points toward the need for democratic classrooms. Students need to be in a learning context where decisions are made by the members in the classroom. Education in a democratic community moves beyond the individual growth of a member. Social interaction between community members is essential to the growth of members in a learning community where people are expected to live and work together. In this study students had opportunity to voice their opinions and the freedom to create their own curriculum through meaningful contexts.

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of inquiry of classroom teachers. It considers what influences the thinking, decision making, and actions taken by three classroom teachers as the inquire in their own classrooms. In particular, emphasis was placed on what facilitates and what causes tension for the teachers as they inquire. This qualitative case study included data collection strategies of initial and final individual semiformal interviews, informal interviews, dialogue journals, and observational field notes. Study group sessions with the teachers and myself were audiotaped and transcribed. Categories were constructed using open coding and a constant comparative method. The study found that not having a vision of what the classroom looked like using new theory and practice was a source of tension. The people in the everyday working lives of teachers were both facilitating and a cause of tension while inquiring. Issues of trust in students as learners, in themselves as educators, and in themselves as learners both facilitated and caused tension in the case study teachers. Reflection was significant to moving forward with inquiry and a major part of that reflection was in the context of collaborating with others. Teachers should be encouraged to inquire in their own classrooms as a means of growing professionally. In order to do so, however, there need to be ways to support inquiring teachers. Possibilities for supporting teachers include providing resource teachers with whom they can reflect and collaborate, concern for learning and learning process, detailed accounts of classroom life, and creative rethinking of time concerns. The formation of voluntary study groups has great potential in school settings not only as a support system for teachers who are inquiring, but also as an alternative for staff development. Based on a constructivist model of learning, study groups provide teachers the opportunity to talk and think together. This format also offers teachers the chance to examine their own beliefs which guide their practice and lead to new inquiries.

This dissertation describes the development and pilot-testing of a new science curriculum called THE MANDUCA PROJECT for Middle School. The curriculum was developed in accordance with The National Science Education Standards through the cooperative efforts of a diverse group of people; three middle school science teachers, two undergraduate biochemistry majors, a multi-cultural curriculum specialist, and an entomologist with a minor in Teaching and Teacher Education. This group worked during a four week summer workshop, producing the framework for an inquiry-driven science curriculum built around investigations of Manduca sexta, or the tobacco hornworm. In the school year following the development of THE MANDUCA PROJECT for Middle School, the curriculum was pilot-tested in seven sixth grade classroom at two different middle schools. The study objectives were three-fold; first, to determine if the curriculum had any effect of students' science attitude, second, to determine if the curriculum had any effect on students' science process skills acquisition, and third to determine if the curriculum had any effect on students' science process skills acquisition. Results of the study indicated no measurable post-treatment effect on science attitude, a small post-treatment improvement in science concept acquisition, and dramatic post-treatment improvements in science concept acquisition.

The latest educational reform movement to sweep across the American educational landscape was called the excellence reform movement (Berube, 1994). This reform movement received extensive media and political coverage and has impacted the education system for past 16 years. This movement has been characterized by waves of reforms, each with a specific focus. The end result was a series of reform initiatives that touched all segments of the educational system. There was a question as to the impact of the reform movement in the classroom. This study sought to gather the perspectives of teachers, from an Arizona school district, on the impact of reform initiatives emanating from the excellence reform movement. The study, framed by the theoretical context of educational change and Etzioni's compliance theory, utilized questionnaire and interview methodologies to collect teacher perspectives. Specifically, the study focused on the impact of reform initiatives on teaching practices in the classroom and factors that influenced teacher decision-making regarding implementation of reform initiatives. Using a multi-method study, an analysis of the data revealed a limited impact of the reform initiatives from the excellence reform movement in the classrooms in this particular district. Teachers indicated it did not matter whether the impetus for a reform initiative came from the state, locally or external to the system the impact was minimal on their practices. The role of teacher compliance with mandated educational reform was discussed utilizing Etzioni's compliance theory (1975). The study revealed that teachers' as lower-level participants in the educational organization complied with mandates from various levels within the educational organization. The analysis suggested this study supported previous studies regarding factors that influence teacher acceptance of reform initiatives (Huberman, 1989/1993; Murphy, Evertson, and Radnofsky, 1991). Specifically, teacher ownership in the reform, rewards and sanctions, and the role of the principal were three factors that impacted teacher decision-making regarding the implementation of reforms.

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact the Arizona Academic Standards have had on teachers' beliefs about their instructional practices. Data were collected using two surveys. The Arizona Academic Standards Program Survey was adapted from one used in Massachusetts (Hanley, 2000), and teachers were asked to provide information about their understanding of how to teach the curriculum standards. The second survey used, The Nature of School Leadership Survey (Leithwood and Jantzi, 1995), examined the relationship between the eight school leadership influences and the impact they had on teachers' instructional practices. As a result of this study, evidence was found that teachers' beliefs about the quality of the Arizona Academic Standards have impacted their instructional practices in teaching the Arizona Academic Standards in their classrooms. These data also indicated that teachers' beliefs about the quality of the Arizona Academic Standards in the two rural school districts have been influenced by professional development opportunities and school leadership.

<p> Metro Nashville Public Schools has transitioned each of their 12 zoned high schools to the academy model. The original basis of this study was to analyze student achievement and engagement between the different academies within MNPS high schools. However, as the study proceeded with data analysis, a need for baseline data became evident due to lack of completion during the initial five years of the transition to the academy model. </p><p> The findings show with regard to student achievement that 50% of schools across the nation are scoring better than MNPS on the national percentiles for the PLAN ACT. The researchers chose to use PLAN ACT instead of ACT with regard to student achievement because it is a better predictor of student achievement for the purpose of this study. It can be concluded from the research that females had higher graduation rates overall. </p><p> With regard to student engagement, it can also be concluded that attendance rates among all twelve academies were over 85%. When disaggregated by ethnic groups in the sample it was found that all had at or above a 90% attendance rate. The researchers also drew the conclusion that there was a disparity between the ratios of in-school suspensions (ISS) and out-of-school suspensions (OSS). This could possibly suggest inconsistency in how these discipline measures were implemented across MNPS academies.</p>