<p> Corporal punishment in the public schools is legally authorized in 19 US states. Research suggests that inflicting corporal punishment to control student behavior does not produce the intended results. Research demonstrates that this form of punishment is associated with aggressive behavior, lack of confidence and self-worth, lower student achievement scores, and limited cognitive functioning, and also may result in a future of violent and criminal behaviors. Research suggests that using alternative forms of discipline and control, such as Positive Behavior Support (PBS), may produce the exact opposite effect &ndash; higher test scores, higher self-esteem, and a more positive outlook and proactive problem solving. </p><p> The research adopted in this analysis of corporal punishment in Texas public schools includes a multiple methods approach with the use of online literature, print literature, school board polices, and research database sites. The findings from this research identify patterns in corporal punishment policies and practice, including analyses of district type, race, academic performance, and socioeconomic status. Research methods used in this analysis of corporal punishment in Texas include document, descriptive, and statistical analyses.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to explore the educational perceptions of Mexican parents living in the United States and how their experiences gestate Mexican student concepts of education. Additionally, the study explores the high drop-out rate among Mexican students enrolled in U.S. public education, the consequences the drop-out rate has on U.S. society, and the history and culture of Mexico that formed the environment in which Mexican parents lived their experiences. The study was administered using a qualitative, empirical, phenomenological methodology using in-depth interviews. The study sample consisted of six native Mexican parents with students enrolled in an urban school district in Utah. Data was collected using an interpreter, originally from Mexico, literate in English and Spanish. The in-depth interviews were recorded and translated, then transcribed using Dragon voice recognition software. The qualitative data was then analyzed for this study.</p><p> Two major themes were identified in the study. The leading theme ascertained within the data indicated gender roles of <i>machismo</i> and <i> marianismo</i>, as influenced by cultural proclivity, dominate family life, which is the basis of Mexican existence. The second dominant theme showed a narrow worldview inculcated by a group- or family-oriented life world experience. Recommendations to address the identified themes in the study are provided. </p>

<p> America's postsecondary education system currently supports nearly 11 million people, but only 33-37% of these students will actually graduate with a Baccalaureate degree (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt &amp; Associates, 2005; OECD, 2009). Researchers have been examining various aspects of America's "persistence puzzle" for the past 30 years. The majority of these studies have focused on the academic and social environs of first-year, native students enrolled in large university programs (Braxton, Sullivan, &amp; Johnson, 1997), where America's transfer student populations have been restricted or excluded (Townsend &amp; Wilson, 2009). These restrictions represent a rather significant oversight in the current literature, given that approximately 52% of America's first-year postsecondary students are enrolled in community college programs (Cejda, 1997; Keener, 1994) and that nearly 40% of today's graduates will transfer between several institutions before obtaining a baccalaureate degree (NCES, 2005). Furthermore, the majority of these studies have relied on quantitative methods/data, which address persistence as an outcomes, rather than a series of events/experiences that contribute to a student's decision to withdraw (Tinto, 1993). As a result, we know very little about the psychological and environmental challenges students face as they transition between institutions (Laanan, 2004). Even those studies that have referred to the "transfer shock" students experience during their transition have failed to explore the methods, attributes, stresses (both psychological, social &amp; cultural), or the strategies students employ to relieve these stresses (Holahan, Green, &amp; Kelley, 1983; Laanan, 2001). </p><p> This study examined the adjustment process of vertical transfer students who recently transferred to a four-year, Research I, Baccalaureate university in the southeast United States. It applied Adelman's (2006) definition of a vertical transfer student as: someone who began his or her postsecondary education in a community college, earned a at least 10 college credits and then transferred to a Baccalaureate university. This definition was then applied to a specific group of vertical transfer students who recently transferred from a single, local community college, less than three miles from the university, as these students represent approximately 43.3% of the total incoming transfer student population at the Baccalaureate institution (OIR, 2012b). The primary goals of this study were to define the transfer student experience, assist future transfer students with their transitions, and assess the quality/effectiveness of current programs so that staff, faculty and administrators could align and/or improve cooperative persistence programs that exist between these two institutions. After all, the rigors these students face during their adjustment to life as university students will have a significant impact on their persistence and/or success (Astin, 1984, Tinto, 1993, Townsend &amp; Wilson, 2009).</p>

<p> The first of these three papers is an empirical study estimating the impact of peer academic support on university course grades. Results suggest that, on average, about twelve peer academic support sessions increase a student's course grade by approximately one full grade point, holding constant a student's academic ability and socioeconomic status. Supplemental instruction is potentially a more effective method of peer academic support than individual peer academic support sessions and low-performing students benefit more from peer academic support than high-performing students. </p><p> The second paper analyzes the educational impact of Native American tribal casino in Washington State. We empirically study the effect tribal casinos have on the dropout rate of schools located near tribal casinos. Next we examine the impact on the dropout rate from per capita payments. Since each federally recognized tribes is a sovereign nations, each tribe makes its own laws governing the payout of these payments. These payments are largely funded by casinos. In Washington State all tribes that make per capita payments put minor tribal member's payments in trust funds that are not technically accessible until the minor child turns 18. These trust funds are having an effect on the dropout rate of young Native American adults. </p><p> The third paper examines the effect of the gender of the student, tutor and professor on the duration between tutoring sessions. Results suggest that the female students have a shorter duration between tutoring sessions. The gender of the tutor or the gender of the instructor had no effect on our results however if the student and instructor were the same gender the duration between tutoring sessions shorter. This was true for both male and female students. </p>

This study examines the extent to which the educational component of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act impacted African-American TANF recipients' access to postsecondary education in Jackson, Mississippi in 2011. This study was based on the premise that policies within the legislation restrict opportunities for welfare recipients to pursue postsecondary education as a pathway to self-sufficiency. For welfare recipients who often believe that college is inaccessible due to financial means, access is especially important for them. Participants in this study were thirty-two African-American women receiving TANF benefits from the State of Mississippi who were either enrolled in a college program or participated in the job readiness training supported by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. A qualitative research methodology was used to analyze the data. The data revealed that there is total consensus among the participants on the importance of postsecondaryeducation as a measure of future economic well-being for themselves and their families. Findings specifically revealed that many of the participants strongly believe that policies associated with welfare reform have prevented or denied them full access to education and that some of the policies should be changed. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that the 1996 Welfare Act impacted access to postsecondary education for TANF recipients in Jackson, Mississippi to some degree; and that after 15 years of stagnated welfare reform policies, specifically policies associated with work requirements, TANF recipients in Mississippi are longing for better educational opportunities that will allow them to enjoy a self-sustaining lifestyle.

<p> An alarmingly number of students drop out of high school every day; however, the need for a high school diploma has become increasingly more important for the U.S. to remain globally competitive. Minority students and students living in poverty are disproportionally affected by this issue dropping out at significantly higher rates. Throughout the years, a number of reform efforts have been targeted at the federal, state, and local levels to address this issue. Some of these efforts have shown promising results. In an <i> Education Week</i> report (Diplomas Count, 2010), 21 urban school districts were identified as districts that are defying expectations based on factors such as district size and poverty level. These districts graduate students at significantly higher rates than districts with similar characteristics. The purpose of this study was to identify key strategies for increasing high school graduation rates. This study examined the practices in five school districts in California that exceeded expected graduation rates. A qualitative approach that included interviewing leaders from each of the districts was utilized to understand the strategies employed. A review and synthesis of the research literature provided the constructs for the conceptual framework used to develop the research and interview questions. Content analysis was performed to identify primary themes across the interviews. </p><p> The data collected and analyzed revealed 19 primary themes or strategies: (a) close supervision, (b) alternative pathways, (c) fostering a sense of belonging, (d) safety prevention programs, (e) curriculum aligned K-12, (f) using technology to improve results, (g) early identification and support of at-risk students, (h) shared accountability, (i) focus on individual student progress, (j) rigorous curriculum, (k) leadership development, (l) collaboration and sharing of best practices, (m) common assessments, (n) data-driven instruction, (o) focused collaboration, (p) professional learning communities, (q) connecting parents to school, (r) strong collaboration between school and community, and (s) transparency. Specific examples of how these strategies are being implemented to improve graduation rates are provided. Implications for education leaders, community partners, parents, and policymakers are also discussed. </p>

<p> Policymakers lack hard evidence that points toward specific educational best practices for charter schools at the school and authorizer level. This study uses proficiency rates and scale scores on the MEAP standardized exam to identify differences in the effectiveness of authorizers, school-level practices, and curricula among charter schools in Michigan. Following the work of Carlson, Lavery, and Witte (2012), I compare university-authorized charter schools to district-authorized charter schools but find little difference in proficiency rates or scale scores in individual grades or for white, black, and FRL-eligible subgroups. However, I am able to specifically identify several authorizers in Michigan as having below-average performance. I also find significant achievement gains associated with schools that use Core Knowledge and Montessori curricula, no positive achievement effects associated with arts-based curricula, and negative effects from attending a virtual charter school. Finally, I conduct a secondary analysis of charter school expulsions and conclude that it is unlikely that the achievement effects I observe are related to differences in the expulsion policies of charter schools.</p>

<p> Research indicates that in the No Child Left Behind era of public education, local districts with elected school boards may be perceived as relinquishing control over policies that affect their school system. With the locus of control coming into question, school boards may struggle with how to involve parents in local decision making. Therefore, it is essential that boards of education openly engage parents by exploring and reflecting on how parent voices can influence the policies that govern public schools. This qualitative study examines how, during the course of approximately 10 months, a seven-member school board involves parents at its public meetings during policy-making processes. Specifically, one way for a school board to engage parents in a policy-making process is to employ deliberative democracy. Thus, this is a qualitative inquiry that, through two case studies, examines a school board's deliberative democratic processes and the parents' participatory stances during public meetings as policies are established or modified. The purpose of this research is to inform school boards, policymakers, parents, and other educational leaders on how elected school boards can preserve a locus of control in decision-making processes at the local level by engaging parents in policymaking. The primary data collection methods included public meeting observations, a school board survey, and interviews. Findings presented through narratives and thematic analyses reveal scenarios where deliberative democratic tenets were exercised. These tenets included purpose, intent, procedures, practices, and reciprocity. In both case studies, parents adopted various stances such as advocate, proxy agent, and expert. However, throughout the processes, study participants noted tension between formal meeting procedures and their desire for informal dialogue. Limitations included selective homogeneity of participants in deliberative processes, root cause analysis for parent participation, and the challenges of local space. Implications for school boards, parents, and deliberative democracy are discussed. Further areas for research could consider the use of electronic media in deliberative democracy, the presence of affective domains in procedurally-steeped processes, the possibility of micro-deliberative practices, and the leveraging of deliberative democratic processes that reclaim local space.</p>

<p> In 1994, <i>Geography for Life</i> was published. From this publication the national geography and state geography standards were developed. These national standards were the basis of the state standards. </p><p> North Dakota Studies is a Grade 9-12 course offered in North Dakota high schools. This course is offered under mandate in North Dakota high schools, so a broad range of data could be obtained by contacting those teachers. </p><p> Prior research has shown that students exposed to 3-D geographic technologies have better spatial abilities than students without a technologic background. A recent study showed that adults wanted to know more about geography and wished their children knew more about geography than they did (Kozak, Dobson, Wood, Wells &amp; Haynes, 2013). </p><p> Analysis of the survey results showed that there may be geographic concepts and content not included in the North Dakota studies curriculum. It also showed while all five themes of geography are included, Human-Environment Interaction has the greatest amount of class time when compared to the time spent in class on the five themes of geography. </p><p> Responses from respondents indicated that the majority of North Dakota Studies teachers do not have a geography degree and many have not had continuing education credits in Geography for many years, if ever. </p><p> Recommendations include greater inclusion of high school level topics at North Dakota Geographic Alliance summer institutes. Topics of these institutes should include geo-special techniques and manners in which to include project-based learning. Scholarships could be offered to teachers to attend seminars and in turn facilitate segments of future institutes. The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, when next addressing state standards, should take care in addressing not only the standards from the second edition of <i>Geography for Life,</i> but also incorporating concepts from the Common Core and skills from the 21^st Century Framework.</p>

<p> The investigator in the study compared traditional middle and high school teachers to alterative teachers regarding the perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and retention. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a difference in the level of self-efficacy between alternative school teachers and traditional school teachers. The researcher also examined the relationships between Perceived Organization Support and teacher self-efficacy between alternative school teachers and traditional school teachers. It was also examined whether alternative teachers perceived their own self-efficacy the same as traditional teachers. </p><p> The research design was a quantitative approach, using one survey for traditional and alternative teachers, in a causal-comparative design. The traditional middle and high school group served as a comparison group for the alternative school group. The survey used Likert-type scale scoring to gather quantitative data from traditional and alternative school teachers. </p><p> The conclusions for research questions one and three came calculating a mean scale score from taking the mean from each of the surveys item's score. The scale score (dependent variable) was then entered into a one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine potential mean differences between teachers working at alternative and traditional schools (independent variable). The conclusion for research question two came from three separate simultaneous multiple regression approaches examining potential mean differences on the impact of teacher characteristics on self-efficacy comparing between the traditional and alternative teacher groups. </p><p> The researcher found that there were significant differences in teacher retention between traditional and alternative school teachers. Conclusions for this study suggest that teacher retention in alternative education warrants further comprehensive study.</p>