The education of African-American males has been challenging for decades as their academic outcomes continue to lag behind despite advances made by large school reform efforts. In recent years urban schools are focusing more attention on what we know about how students learn, promising practices for education reform, and how teachers can sharpen their skills to teach more effectively (Darling-Hammond, 2001; Marzano, 2000). The purpose of this action research is to describe and understand the intersection of Hip Hop culture, teacher perceptions of African-American male students and the influence of culturally-relevant professional development on increasing student engagement. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Summer Semester, 2014. / June 23, 2014. / African American males, Black males, Culturally Responsive, Hip Hop, Middle School, Teacher Education / Includes bibliographical references. / Patrice Iatarola, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frances Berry, University Representative; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Carolyn Herrington, Committee Member.

In the late 20th century, states began approving community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees, signifying the emergence of the community college baccalaureate (CCB) movement. From 1989 to 2007, 16 states included in this analysis had at least one community college that was authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. In the early years, states offering CCBs saw modest expansion. By the turn of the century, the number of states authorizing community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees expanded rapidly. Rationale for the CCB included: increased demands for baccalaureate degrees and credentials; unmet workforce needs; need for increased access to affordable higher education options; baccalaureate training in all state regions; pressures to meet state and national completion goals; overcrowding, stricter admissions standards, and rising costs to students and taxpayers at traditional four-year institutions. The methodological technique of event history analysis was used to better understand the timing and occurrence of the adoption of the CCB. The particular specification for this analysis was the Extended Cox model, where the dependent variable was the binary adoption of the CCB and the independent variables were grouped into five rival sets of hypotheses drawn and distilled from the literature: regional diffusion, fiscal and socioeconomic factors, higher education demand, governance structures, and political factors. The analysis for this study was conducted using longitudinal panel data for 46 states from 1989 to 2007, and tested 17 hypotheses. Data were collected from a variety of state-level sources, including the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, U.S. Department of Labor, Education Commission of the States, Klarnar's data set, and Council of State Governments. This study presents empirical evidence that the likelihood of state adoption can be explained by several conditions external and internal to the state. Specifically, states with close proximity to previous CCB adopters, low tuition costs, low enrollment growth, low educational attainment rates, low labor force participation rates, consolidated governing board structures, board approval for CCB adoption, and non-Republican control of the legislature were more likely to adopt the CCB. I found negative relationships between CCB adoption and median income, tuition costs, and professionalized legislatures. Finally, there was no evidence to support the influence of fiscal health, university overcrowding, proximity to urban areas, previous adoption of articulation agreements, unemployment rates, community college-only boards, and Republican governors on CCB adoption. This study fills a gap in the literature by approaching the evolution and rise of the CCB from an empirical perspective. Building upon prior research, it adds a new way in which scholars and practitioners can think about the adoption of the CCB as a policy innovation in the U.S. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / June 11, 2014. / Community College Baccalaureate Degrees, Event History Analysis, Policy Innovation / Includes bibliographical references. / David Tandberg, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frances Berry, University Representative; Shouping Hu, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT School accountability is an issue that the American public has been confronted with since the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983. This report commissioned by then Secretary of Education T. H. Bell offered a critical assessment of the American education system. During the past three decades following its publication, education practitioners, policy makers, parents and others have sought to promote strategies that they believe would improve the quality of public education. One widely used strategy throughout our country is charter schools. Charter school advocates relish the fact that their use provided for greater school choice, autonomy and local control. This paper is designed to offer a glimpse into how a small central Florida town used charter schools to improve the quality of its public schools. This limited quantitative study had two main foci. First, it sought to determine the correlation between student demographic factors and achievement for six schools, three charter elementary schools and three comparable non-charter elementary schools. Second, it sought to determine if there were mean differences in student achievement data for the two school types. The correlation test that were conducted in this study paired student demographic factors and achievement as well as school climate factors and achievement with the two school types. The findings showed there were no correlations between an entire cluster of demographic factors (Title I, disability, minority status, and English language learner) or school climate factors (teacher/administrator quality and school discipline) and reading and math achievement for the two school types. However, an examination of some individual demographic and school culture factors showed a different result. Several examples of these findings included the correlation between charter school reading and school culture/climate-percentage- out of field teachers (p=.023, at p<.05) and Percentage of new administrators (p=.003, sig. at p<.01); the correlation between charter school math and school demographic factors-Percentage of ESE student (p=.037, p<.05; the correlation between TPS reading and student demographic factors-Percentage of Title I students (p=.006, sig. at p<.01). The result of the independent sample t-test showed charter schools out performing non-charter schools in both reading and math. The mean difference for the two groups were deemed not significant for reading (p= .134 when p< .05) However for math the difference was significant (p= .03 when p< .05). While the results are limited, focusing on the three elementary schools within the charter school system and three traditional public schools in the same district, the findings provide evidence that the town's commitment to improving the quality of their education system has not been in vain. The results of this study could be used as a foundation for the development of future studies which have as a central focus the improvement of the academic programs for this and other charter school systems. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Summer Semester, 2014. / July 15, 2014. / Accountability, Assessment, Charter Schools, Parental Choice, School Choice, Traditional Public Schools / Includes bibliographical references. / Marytza Gawlik, Professor Directing Dissertation; Elizabeth Jakubowski, Committee Member; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Carol Herrington, Committee Member.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice students' awareness of cultural diversity during a required Introduction to Education course that includes a service learning component. As college students majoring in education, preservice teachers should be taught to acknowledge and appreciate cultural diversity. There are many White, middle and upper class students, mostly women, who are attracted to teaching at the K-12 level. However, many, if not most, of these students have limited experience in working with diverse student populations or their families. It is imperative that preservice teachers become "transformed" during their education so that they emerge more culturally aware and culturally competent to understand the changing demographics of schools. The Introduction to Education course which includes a service learning component acts as an intervention. Such an experience can serve to showcase the realities of teaching to students who may have a utopian view of teaching and begin to ground them in the realities of daily teaching responsibilities. This study was a mixed method research design with a convenience sample. Descriptive statistics, manual coding and NVivo (version 10) software were used to analyze the data. Participants included students enrolled in one section of a required course, Introduction to Education, in the College of Education in a southeastern university. Data collected over the course of the semester included questionnaires, the Multicultural Survey, and comments from focus groups. Research findings reveal that the service learning component of the Introduction to Education course had a positive impact on the respondent's awareness of cultural diversity. The emergent themes that the respondents indicated helped prepare them to be successful in a culturally diverse classroom were: classroom observations, observation guides, mentoring/tutoring and class activities. This research is significant to colleges of education as they seek to design effective teacher preparation programs. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Fall Semester, 2013. / November 18, 2013. / Cultural Awareness, Preservice Teacher, Service Learning / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Schwartz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tom Ratliffe, University Representative; Tamara Bertrand Jones, Committee Member; Kathy Guthrie, Committee Member.

Universities and colleges in the United States are vital communities, teeming with people and vast resources. Because of such factors as class schedules, on-going research, tight academic calendars and highly transient populations, these communities function with diverse operations that need a constant degree of normality for maximum effectiveness. Due to the specialized nature of higher education institutions, universities and colleges are vulnerable to a wide range of situations capable of upsetting normal day-to-day operations. For any university or college, the safe operation of campus is essential to the goals of the institution, the quality of the environment, and even its survival. Among higher education institutions, the issue of safety is a broad and encompassing concept but often with no clear lines of responsibility. In contrast to industries, which have special units or groups of people to plan and deal with disruptions or emergency situations, higher education institutions often overlook or even ignore safety concerns. Among most industries, especially those involving work with volatile chemicals or other substances as well as dangerous activities, safety is an essential element of sound management. To address the safe operation of a campus, every higher education institution in the United States has, in one form or another, has an environmental health and safety (EH&S) program. The main principle of an EH&S program is to support and advance the teaching and research activities of the institution through the promotion of a safe and healthy campus, by providing and coordinating services that minimize the risk of occupational illness, injury or environmental contamination. Given the diversity that characterizes the array of colleges and universities in the United States in the 21st century, it is important to know the structure of EH&S programs in higher education institutions and how they are implemented. However, few, if any, studies have been conducted to examine what EH&S programs are comprised of, what role they play in higher education institutions, how they are organized and structured, how they are funded and staffed, and what effect they have on the risk of accidents or the fiscal impact to institutions. This study have determined that for research institutions, the staff and funding of EH&S programs have significant impacts on the safe operation of the institution. In particular, EH&S staff number has a significant impact on the number of reported injuries and illnesses and the number of lost workdays. The study also found that there are two types of organizational structures for EH&S programs: a centralized EH&S program, where all the components are within a dedicated EH&S program; and a fragmented structure where the components are disjointed from one another and would report to the institution's higher administration directly and separately. However, the study found that the EH&S organization structures reporting schemes are not significant in ensuring the safe operation of the institution. Furthermore, the study found that EH&S program expenditures significantly affect the safety goal. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Fall Semester, 2011. / June 27, 2011. / College health and safety, Colleges and universities EH&S program, EH&S, EH&S program, Environmental health and safety, Safety program at research colleges and universities / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Schwartz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frances Berry, University Representative; Shouping Hu, Committee Member; Kathy Guthrie, Committee Member.

In recent years, the United States of America has fallen in international rankings regarding completion of degrees (ATD, 2011c). "The U.S. has fallen in international education rankings. In one single generation, America went from 1st to 12th in college completion rates for young adults" (ATD, 2011c). Community colleges specifically struggle with assisting students in degree attainment; less than half of community college degree-seeking students graduate within six years of matriculation (ATD, 2011d). Community colleges are in need of interventions that will help them increase the number of students who are retained, who transfer to four-year colleges and who graduate; essentially, they must increase student success. Achieving the DreamTM seeks to assist community colleges in increasing their student success through four primary areas: institutional change, impacting public policy, engaging the public and developing knowledge on campuses. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any difference in the graduation, retention and transfer rates of the community colleges that participate in Achieving the Dream and of those who did not, during the 2004-2007 time period. This study used Propensity Score Matching and independent t-tests to compare participants' performance with that of non-participants. Additionally, multiple regression was used to verify the results. The only statistically significant result was graduation rates in the multiple regression model. Graduation rates were 4.23% lower at Achieving the Dream schools than non-Achieving the Dream schools. The conclusion of this study is that Achieving the Dream schools were not able to reach the goals articulated by Achieving the Dream, but additional research is necessary to answer why. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / May 3, 2012. / Achieving the Dream, Community College / Includes bibliographical references. / T. K. Wetherell, Professor Directing Dissertation; Diana Rice, University Representative; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Joseph Beckham, Committee Member.

This quantitative study examines the current status of Black women higher education administrators in comparison to other higher education administrators of another race and/or gender. Specifically, years of service, social support, highest degree attained, income level, and current title held was analyzed to evaluate the actual levels of professional success attained by Black women in higher education. A historical overview of the position of Black women both in society and in academe was reviewed and evaluated in order to provide context to the current status of Black female administrators in higher education administration. The potential barriers to Black female success, as well as potential outcomes of marginalization were explored in order to add more depth to the research and findings. In this research study there is one dependent variable, professional success. The independent variables will vary based on the research question being answered and include: degrees earned, gender, race, and social support. Control variables will also vary and include: years of experience and degree earned. To strengthen the results and to assess large numbers of respondents, a web-based survey was utilized. The results of this study indicate that Black female administrators earn significantly less and are less likely to hold senior level student affairs positions, even when similarly qualified. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 21, 2012. / Black, Stereotypes, University Administration, Women / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Schwartz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Felicia Jordan-Jackson, University Representative; Tamara Bertrand Jones, Committee Member; David Tandberg, Committee Member.

The purpose of this inquiry was to describe and understand the lived experiences of the acculturative process of the Indonesian graduate students at an American public university. The primary focus here was on better understanding how some events or changes become sources of difficulties, problems, or culture shock in Indonesian graduate students' lives. The purpose of this study could be depicted in three ways: (1) to describe the lived experiences of Indonesian graduate students in relation to their academic matters and social relations during their acculturative process during the first term and over time at their institution, (2) to understand or to explore the major sources of acculturative problems or the causes of cultural shock leading to acculturative stress experienced by Indonesian graduate students, and (3) to understand how Indonesian graduate students have dealt with those acculturative problems or stressors and what the acculturative strategies that they have used to cope with acculturative problems or stressors with respect to academic matters and social relations at the first term and over time at their institutions. The theoretical frameworks of Oberg's (1960) culture shock model and Berry's (1987, 2006) acculturation stress model were used to guide this study. Data for this study were collected through a demographic background survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with thirteen Indonesian graduate students. The demographic data were analyzed descriptively. The interviews and focus groups data were analyzed by using within-case and cross-case displays and analyses (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Four salient themes with their sub-themes to emerge were: academic shock, adjustment, crisis, and resolution. Implications and strategies for professionals and scholars who work with international students in practice, education and policy are discussed. In addition, strategies to promote Indonesian graduate students' academic and social success in graduate programs are included. Suggestions for future research are also discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / December 6, 2011. / Educational policy, Higher education, Indonesian graduate student, Indonesian student, International student, Multicultural education / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeffrey Ayala Milligan, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen D. McDowell, University Representative; Stacey Rutledge, Committee Member; Peter Easton, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examined how tenure status and academic rank influenced the job satisfaction of African American female Education Associate Professors at predominantly White research institutions. Job satisfaction is a complex phenomenon with several intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence faculty socialization and success. Since the late 1800's African American female faculty have held successful careers in the field of Education (Harley, 2008; McKay, 1997). The inclusion of African American female faculty at PWI's in the 1960's may have signaled institutional access, but experiences of marginalization, isolation, and devaluing of research have lowered African American female faculty job satisfaction. Understanding the job satisfaction of African American female Education faculty after they have earned tenure and Associate Professor academic rank is necessary in order to provide appropriate resources that will ensure successful recruitment and retention of these women. The purpose of this study was to understand how tenure status and academic rank influenced the job satisfaction experienced by African American female Education Associate Professors at predominantly White research institutions. By combining concepts presented in Hagedorn's (2000) Conceptual Faculty Job Satisfaction Model and Collins (2000) Black Feminist Thought model, the African American Female Faculty Satisfaction Model was developed. This model incorporates the Black Feminist Thought model as the center because of the importance placed on the positive affirming beliefs African American females develop to mitigate effects of societal negative stereotypes, while the outer circle includes constructs which influence faculty job satisfaction. A phenomenological research design was utilized. Data collection included a pre-interview questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with nine African American female Education Associate Professors at various predominantly White research institutions data analysis involved researcher memoing and reflection journaling after each interview, thematic coding, cross case analysis, and triangulation of findings with the guiding theoretical frameworks. Findings from this study revealed that African American female Education Associate Professors were marginally satisfied, at minimum, with their job at their predominantly White research institution. Each African American female Education Associate Professors identified working with students as the most satisfying aspect of their academic role. Participants indicated tenured status and Associate Professor academic rank allowed them freedom to speak up for injustices and not fear they would unjustly be denied tenure or terminated. Results from the data indicated participants held a commitment to service and providing academic preparation and mentoring to students. Additional findings revealed strong spiritual beliefs, environmental conditions such as changes in leadership, the lack of rules, and incongruence in personal and institutional values were areas of job dissatisfaction. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. / Fall Semester, 2012. / October 31, 2012. / African American faculty, African American female job satisfaction, Black female faculty, black female faculty job satisfaction, female faculty job satisfaction, female job satisfaction / Includes bibliographical references. / Tamara Bertrand Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Felecia Jordan Jackson, University Representative; Robert A. Schwartz, Committee Member; Kathy Guthrie, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this descriptive, post hoc single case study was to understand how the five components of Teddlie and Stringfield`s (1993) school effectiveness model manifested themselves in school improvements efforts. This study used Teddlie and Stringfield (1993) five component school effectiveness conceptual model (focus on academics, orderly environment, monitoring of student academic profiles, supportive and persistent teachers, and dynamic leadership). I conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers, administrators, instructional coaches and students, produced several trend analyses, and analyzed school documents and academic records. From the information I collected at the site, I tested Teddlie and Stringfield`s (1993) school effectiveness model`s applicability to a school seeking transformation and identified other factors that may have contributed to the increase in student performance. The primary research question was &hibar;How did the five components of the Teddlie and Stringfield`s (1993) school effectiveness study manifest themselves in the school improvement efforts of This Is It Elementary School? Two sub-questions were: (1) What additional factors contributed to facilitating and sustaining school improvement efforts in this case? (2) In an effort to increase student academic achievement represented by the FCAT, (a) what challenges were encountered by students, teachers, instructional support staff and administrators and (b) how did the students, teachers, instructional support staff, and administrators overcome the challenges? This single case study investigated a high-performing elementary public school that served predominately African American students in a poor neighborhood and achieved impressive academic results in 2008-2009 and maintained similar levels of academic excellence in subsequent years. More specifically, this study documented the manifestation and maintenance of school improvement efforts at This Is it Elementary School covering the 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years. The five components of Teddlie and Stringfield`s (1993) School Effectiveness Model (a focus on academics, supportive and persistent teachers, continuous monitoring of academic profiles, an orderly environment, and dynamic leadership) were evident at This is It Elementary School. The school`s focus on academics involved the restructuring of instructional time, curriculum alignment, and additional instruction. Their acquisition supportive and persistent teachers that were caring and demanding resulted in high expectations for student achievement. In addition, This Is It Elementary School used frequent assessments to drive instruction and they created a structured environment that was conducive to learning. The student`s appreciation for teachers was a by-product of the establishment of relationships. Dynamic leadership was also present. Dynamic leadership took the form of differentiated and instructional leadership. Administration mediated and buffered the staff from external district and federal mandates. Administration also monitored the fidelity of instructional practices. Before, during, and after the academic transformation, the staff at This Is It Elementary School faced the challenge of maintaining the pace of the district mandated curriculum map, an area where buffering was more evident. Administration revamped the district`s mandated curriculum map and customized the pacing of the standards to match the learning progression of their students. The findings in this case revealed two additional characteristics that proved instrumental in improving and maintaining student achievement: (1) rewards for high academic performance and (2) creative test preparation activities. Therefore, the school effectiveness model implemented at This Is Elementary School that led to the improvement in and maintenance of student achievement as represented by FCAT scores consisted of seven school improvement components: (1) focus on academics, (2) orderly environment, (3) monitoring of student academic profiles, (4) supportive and persistent teachers, (5) dynamic leadership, (6) rewards for high academic performance, and (7) test preparation activities. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2011. / September 12, 2011. / accountability in elementary schools, high-performing elementary schools, high-poverty high-performing elementary schools, school improvement practices in elementary schools, turnaround elementary schools / Includes bibliographical references. / Linda Schrader, Professor Directing Dissertation; Judith Irvin, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert Eklund, University Representative; Sande Milton, Committee Member; Carolyn Herrington, Committee Member.