This thesis discussess the limitations of the standards-based movement and suggests that some schools, especially those whose mission it is to work exclusively with at-risk students, need to be allowed to set local behavioral standards before any consideration can be given to setting and teaching academic standards. It mainly focuses on Phoenix High School, a community day school in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, and discusses how the standards based movement is not suited to meet the needs of its students.

This study examined the practices of Title I elementary school principals in the state of Florida for the school year 2009 - 2010. Elementary school principals in six Florida school districts responded to a survey to determine the extent of implementation of instructional and organizational practices identified by research to improve instruction and learning. The practices (sub-constructs) examined were identified as curriculum, instruction, assessment, educational agenda (vision, mission, beliefs, goals), leadership for school improvement, community building, and culture of continuous improvement. The results of this study indicated that participating Florida Title I principals believed that they were implementing effective instructional and organizational practices in their schools. Despite this belief, all but two of the schools represented in the results failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for school year 2009-2010. The analysis of the responses indicated a negative, but not statistically significant, correlation between self-reported scores and AYP percentage points earned. These results warrant further study to determine if the reported indicators can be verified by observation or other personnel. Within the limits of this study, the negative correlation suggested that school principals should examine their practices related to instructional and organizational effectiveness for fidelity and stakeholder buy-in. Principals must not only believe that these practices are evident, they must verify them through constant monitoring and quantitative measures.

The focus of this research was to identify variables reported in the 2008-2009 Florida School Indicator Report (FSIR) that had a statistical impact, positive or negative, on the likelihood that a school would achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading or mathematics using the logistic regression technique. This study analyzed four broad categories reported by the FSIR to include academic, school, student, and teacher characteristics. FSIR and AYP data was collected for 468 Florida high schools that were categorized by the Florida Department of Education as presenting a comprehensive curriculum to grades 9-12 or grades 10-12. It was determined in this study that academic data associated with ACT results and the grade 11 FCAT Science were effective predictors of a school’s academic health in reading and mathematics. Student absenteeism showed the greatest impact on a school obtaining AYP in reading while the percentage of students qualifying for free and disabled populations within a school showed the greatest impact on a school obtaining AYP in mathematics. Teachers teaching out of field were identified as having a negative influence on AYP in reading and mathematics while a teacher’s experience was considered a positive influence on AYP in mathematics only. Further research is necessary to fully explore the use of logistic regression as a predictive tool at the state, school district, and school level.

The Migrant Education Program was enacted by Congress in 1966 as an amendment to the Elementary and Second Education Act of 1965. Today Title 1, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides funding to states and subsequently to local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide educational programs and services to children of migratory farm workers. These funds are intended to enable these unique children to have access to state standards-based curriculum and to find success on standards-based assessments. This study examined the LEA utilization of funds awarded to the State of Florida under Title 1, Part C, from AY2007-09, identified the specific activities implemented by LEAs to meet the unique educational needs of the migrant students, and analyzed the impact of total student membership, total migrant entitlement, and concentration of migrant students relative to the total LEA student membership on the utilization of the funding. The study demonstrated that the Federal Office of Migrant Education policies and rules promulgated by the State of Florida channel funding away from educational activities for the students to non-academic expenditures. / by Robert W. Murray. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The author has designed a guidebook to accompany the State of California Department of Education's Coordinated Compliance Review Manual. The purpose of the guidebook is to provide English language learners' (ELL) coordinators the information needed to facilitate and achieve compliance with the State of California's rules, regulations and policies that will insure that ELL students' needs are being addressed and met. The design and method of the project are discussed.

This study was undertaken with the purpose of analysing the public accountability system of secondary schools in the Johannesburg North District. It also tested the relationship between the accountability system and the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools. Over and above principals, learners and parents, the study also utilised numerous published literature to analyse the current accountability system. The findings of the empirical study revealed that there were disparities between the literature review and the current accountability system. Three major findings were made by this study. Firstly, there is a lack of synergy between internal and external accountability systems. Secondly, there are different accountability systems used by different secondary schools in the same District and lastly grade twelve results are used to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of secondary schools in the chosen District. In conclusion, proposals which may assist in improving the current accountability system were made. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Management)

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: While nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have existed for several hundred years, their recent surge was largely fueled by several key factors. Firstly, government corruption caused donor agencies to see NGOs as safer investments for their aid portfolios. Secondly, the end of the Cold War fostered growth in development in former Soviet satellite nations. Thirdly, the United Nation‘s (UN) establishment of the Millennium Development Goals galvanized the globe to address indicators critical to combating extreme poverty. Vast amounts of charitable capital combined with donors‘ increasing expectations of performance to spark serious interest in the topics of NGO efficiency, accountability and effectiveness. These topics are foundational to NGO mission accomplishment and have contributed to a global expansion of academic programs in NGO management. The examination of a forerunner of NGO management education helped address the void of scholarship concerning NGO-related academic program effectiveness. The economic development program at Eastern University (US) was created in 1984 as one of the world‘s first MBA programs designed to train entrepreneurs for service to distressed communities. The program quickly grew to over one hundred students and then foundered due to frequent personnel transition, curricular change, mission drift and a lack of investment in relational marketing and outreach. This prompted an administrative intervention in 2002. In 2007, five years into the economic development program‘s reinvention process, a qualitative evaluation determined whether all the essential elements of the program were in place and operating in accordance with the plans put forth in 2002. The knowledge generated by this research will strengthen institutions that serve NGOs and extend the abilities of NGO leaders to fulfill their missions. The following specific aims were established and achieved. Firstly, an analysis of the factors contributing to the management challenges facing the leaders of international NGOs was presented. Secondly, a qualitative evaluation of an international graduate economic development program for NGO leaders using archival analysis verified through iv interviews and focus groups assessed the effectiveness of the 2002 intervention in achieving planned objectives. Thirdly, the research also generated conclusions and recommendations on theoretical, practical and policy-related issues, particularly regarding matters of academic program leadership, curricular development, planning, evaluation, marketing and the distinctive requirements of international programs containing distance delivery components. Fourthly, the research enriched the scholarly conversation in the NGO and academic communities in substantive ways, including two presentations at international conferences and publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Theoretical, practical and policy conclusions were generated as research outcomes and included a theoretical framework for the implementation and evaluation of an international graduate economic development MBA for NGO leaders. The conclusions generated four recommendations for the host institution and others with similar missions and aspirations. The recommendations stated that these kinds of programs should: commit to the discipline of multi-year planning and evaluation, appoint well-qualified faculty to lead them, implement and resource relationship-based marketing plans that engage program alumni, and excel at delivering cross-cultural, highly accessible learning / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nieregeringsorganisasies (NRO‘s) bestaan al vir baie honderde jare. In die onlangse verlede is die belangrikheid en groei daarvan deur verskeie faktore aangevuur. Ten eerste het skenkerorganisasies nieregeringsorganisasies toenemend begin beskou as veiliger beleggers vir hulle hulpfondse as die toenemende korrupsie van regerings. Tweedens het die einde van die Koue Oorlog die groei en ontwikkeling van vorige Sowjet- satellietstate gestimuleer. Derdens het die Verenigde Volkeorganisasie (VVO) met die daarstelling van die milleniumontwikkelingsdoelstellings die wêreld saamgesnoer in hulle pogings om armoede te beveg. Groot bedrae welsynskapitaal en die daarmee gepaardgaande hoër prestasieverwagtinge van skenkers het daartoe bygedra dat daar groter belangstelling was in die effektiwiteit, doeltreffendheid en toerekenbaarheid van nieregeringsorganisasies. Laasgenoemde drie temas is fundamenteel tot die uitlewing van nieregeringsorganisasies se missies en dit het daartoe bygedra dat daar ‘n wêreldwye toename in akademiese programme oor die leierskap en bestuur van nieregeringsorganisasies was. Navorsing oor een van die pioniers op die gebied van leierskap en bestuursopleiding vir nie-regeringsorganisasies het daartoe bygedra om hierdie leemte in die akademieskap van nie-regeringsorganisasies se programeffektiwiteit te oorbrug. Die ekonomiese ontwikkelings-program aan die Eastern University in die VSA is in 1984 as een van die wêreld se eerste MBA-programme wat ontwerp is om entrepreneurs vir dienslewering aan benadeelde gemeenskappe op te lei, in die lewe geroep. Die program was baie gewild en het vinnig gegroei en gou was daar meer as ‘n honderd ingeskrewe studente. As gevolg van verskeie faktore, waaronder gereelde personeel- en leierskapwisseling, kurrikulumwysigings, missieverskuiwing (mission drift) en onvoldoende investering in bemarking en uitreikprogramme, het die program se gewildheid afgeneem. Hierdie afname in die gewildheid van die program het inmenging/intervensie deur die universiteitsbestuur in 2002 genoodsaak. In 2007,vyf jaar nadat die universiteitsbestuur die intervensie geïnisieer het, is deur middel van ‘n kwalitatiewe evaluering vasgestel of al die noodsaaklike elemente van die program toegepas is volgens die intervensieprogram wat in 2002 geïnisieer is. Die kennis wat deur hierdie navorsing gegenereer is, sal vi universiteite en instellings wat nieregeringsorganisasies ondersteun, versterk en die leiers van nieregeringsorganisasies in staat stel om hulle missies uit te leef. Verskeie doelstellings is met die navorsing nagestreef en bereik. Eerstens is die faktore wat bydra tot die uitdagings vir die leierskap van internasionale nieregeringsorganisasies geanaliseer en aangebied. Tweedens is ‘n kwalitatiewe evaluering van ‘n internasionale nagraadse ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogram uitgevoer. Argivale materiaal is geanaliseer en, gerugsteun deur inligting wat verkry is uit onderhoude en fokusgroepe, is die effektiwiteit van die 2002-intervensie bepaal. Derdens is teoretiese, praktiese en beleidsgevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gegenereer. Hierdie gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is veral toegespits op leierskap vir akademiese programme, kurrikulumontwikkeling, beplanning, evaluering, bemarking en die eiesoortige eise wat afstandsonderrigprogramme stel. Vierdens het die navorsing die akademiese gesprek en die akademiese en nieregeringsorganisasies op verskeie betekenisvolle maniere verryk. Onder andere is twee aanbiedinge by internasionale konferensies gedoen en is ‘n artikel in ‘n eweknie-beoordeelde tydskrif gepubliseer. Teoretiese, praktiese en beleidsgevolgtrekkings is daargestel en dit sluit onder andere ‘n teoretiese raamwerk vir die implementering en evaluering van ‘n internasionale MBA- nagraadse ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogram vir leiers van nieregeringsorganisasies in. Die gevolgtrekkings het gelei tot vier aanbevelings vir die gasheerinstelling en ander instellings met soortgelyke missies en aspirasies. Die aanbevelings sluit onder andere in dat instellings wat soortgelyke programme aanbied, hulle moet verbind tot multijaarbeplanning en -evaluering, dat hulle bekwame akademici as leiers moet aanstel, dat hulle brongebaseerde bemarkingsplanne moet implementeer en dat hulle akademiese personeel moet aanstel wat besonder goed toegerus is in die aanbieding van kruiskulturele toeganklike leerprogramme.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This thesis attempted to develop insight into why, contrary to expectation and predictions, learners in Rundu obtained better scores in a standardised English comprehension test than learners in Katima Mulilo, given that the conditions of teaching and learning were judged to be least favourable in Rundu.

This study investigated the relationship of statewide high school graduation rates of student ethnic groups from 2002 to 2006 to the four policy pillars of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001: Accountability for Results; Expanded Flexibility and Local Control; Expanded Options for Parents, Strengthening Teacher Quality. The quantitative, non-experimental, multivariate, correlational design addressed four research questions and six hypotheses. The research population was composed of high school students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The predictor variables were the four policy pillars themselves. Data were collected through archival reports from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) and State Accountability Report Workbooks provided by state departments of education to create an index of implementation to determine the extent to which the four policy pillars were implemented. The criterion variable was high school graduation rate split across student ethnic groups. Graduation rates of subgroup student populations were collected from the Average Freshman Graduation Rates archives for the ninth grade cohort entering in 2001 and exiting in 2006. Data were analyzed both by a one-factor correlational analysis of covariance with one covariate to determine the impact of each NCLB policy pillar, and by a four-factor analysis of covariance with one covariate to determine the impact of all NCLB policy pillars together. The study found that no significant relationships existed between any of the four NCLB policy pillars, singularly or between all four of the policy pillars together, and statewide high school graduation rates among any student racial or ethnic subgroups for the academic years covered in the study. Reasons for the lack of significant relationships are a source for further study. It is recommended that such studies examine the effect of policy implementation that currently allows: (a) each state to set its own test and measurement standards or its own criteria for teacher certification; (b) parents to keep their children in failing schools even if those children are also failing; and (c) each state to underfund mandates. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection