Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2005. / Thesis advisor: Penelope Lisi. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-122). Also available via the World Wide Web.

<p> To highlight exemplary school counseling programs, in 2003, the American School Counselor Association developed the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) as an acknowledgement for those schools that have implemented a comprehensive school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model (American School Counselor Association, 2016b). Since the inception of the RAMP program, 668 schools have earned the RAMP designation. Of those, 189 have current RAMP status and 469 have had RAMP status at some point but have let it lapse. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that contributed to a school&rsquo;s decision to continue or discontinue the pursuit of subsequent RAMP designations. This mixed-methods study surveyed 238 schools of various levels (e.g., elementary, middle and high school) located in 36 states. Following the analysis of the questionnaire data, six in-depth interviews were conducted. Two of the interviews were with schools that had earned multiple-consecutive RAMP designations, two were with schools that earned multiple RAMP designations in non-consecutive years, and two were with lapsed RAMP schools. </p><p> The findings of this study indicate that current RAMP schools and lapsed RAMP schools that did not have significant turnover within the counseling department from the time of their original RAMP designation, report to be currently implementing comprehensive school counseling programs regardless of their current RAMP status. Additionally, schools that were unwilling to pursue subsequent Re-RAMP designations were likely to cite multiple barriers or challenges that include: time, a lack of support or understanding from school administrators and staffing turnover. Finally, the results indicate that schools are more willing to pursue the Re-RAMP designation if they have a variety of supports in place and perceive the benefits of the designation to be valuable. </p><p> Implications of these findings for the association&rsquo;s management, improvement and support of the Recognized ASCA Model Program are discussed. Further areas for research regarding the various components of comprehensive school counseling programs are suggested.</p><p>

<p> Military students are a population of learners who must move several times during their service member parent's careers. Adolescents may be more affected by these frequent moves, as the moves occur during a crucial time of physical and emotional development. Social capital theory best underpins this research study, as adolescents begin to value the social capital established among peers and then become affected by the breaks in social capital as they are forced to move. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the degree of the relationship, if any, of military middle school students' standardized test scores and grade level turnover to determine if grade level turnover had an impact on the outcome of the students' annual standardized test scores. Enrollment and archived tests data were collected from 18 DoDEA schools that serve grades six through eight. The independent variable was military middle school classroom turnover, and the dependent variables were the students&rsquo; test scores on the TerraNova3. Nine bivariate correlations were conducted for each school year and by grade level to analyze the data. Five subject areas were tested per test, and the results of these 45 analyses indicate 5 weak correlations. Post-hoc Bonferroni and a familywise error correction were conducted to correct the insufficient power and inflated alpha values. The results of this research can be valuable to educators who are unfamiliar with a transient population of learners, more specifically the adolescent military student population and how it could be correlated with academic success. </p><p>

<p> This descriptive study attempts to increase understanding of relationships between school contextual factors and the fostering of student prosocial development and reduced at risk behaviors among adolescent populations. Using an ethnographic design, the researcher gathered data from six rural public middle schools in Pennsylvania. Three schools with the greatest number of infractions and three with the fewest infractions per 100 eighth grade students represented both ends of the misconduct range and served as the study&rsquo;s sample. Data were gathered through school site visits, primary documents, interviews of school personnel, and an on-line survey completed by each school faculty. All instruments were informed by subscale dimensions represented by the Alliance for the Study of School Climate (ASSC) School Climate Assessment Instrument (SCAI).</p><p> Cross-case analysis revealed shared patterns of behavior, beliefs, and language of middle school administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers concerning factors contributing to their respective school climates. Contextual similarities and differences among school groupings were investigated through subscale dimensions of (a) faculty relations, (b) leadership and decision making, (c) discipline and management environment, and (d) attitude and culture. A paired-samples <i>t</i>-test of survey data revealed statistically significant mean differences for (a) leadership and decision making and (b) attitude and culture, with these variances being particularly evident after removing one school that emerged as an outlier. Data gathered from the study&rsquo;s other instruments aligned with this school&rsquo;s incongruous nature to all other schools of the sample.</p>

<p> This study examined whether teaching character competencies of growth mindset and grit in advisory to middle school students increases motivation in the classroom. The problem being addressed is the perceptions of teachers that student motivation has decreased over time, and the significance is benefits derived from the ability to increase motivation. A mixed methods approach with an action research design is used for collecting data before, during, and after delivery of the lessons/interventions, from self-reports, surveys, and journals, and the qualitative data augments findings of quantitative data. The qualitative findings allude to the possibility that the concepts of growth mindset and grit can be taught, but quantitative data do not support this conclusion. Mean scores for growth mindset, grit, and motivation are charted from pretest to posttest, and significance of observed differences of experimental and control group means were tested with a <i>t</i>-test. Teacher growth mindset means showed statistical significance and a moderate to large effect size, but that was not true for student growth mindset means and student or teacher data for grit or motivation. Multiple linear regression analyses did not prove any causal relationship between growth mindset and motivation, or grit and motivation, but the effect of grit was much greater than the effect of growth mindset on motivation. </p><p> <i><b>Keywords:</b></i> motivation, character competencies, growth mindset, grit, middle school students, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, persistence</p>

<p> <b>Purpose:</b> The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify what policies and procedures were most effective in reducing cyberbullying as perceived by a panel of middle school administrators.</p><p> <b>Methodology:</b> This Delphi study asked middle school administrators, through a series of three surveys, to determine the best policies and procedures to manage cyberbullying in a middle school setting. Through the survey process, the panel of experts delineated several policies and procedures that are implemented at various middle schools in the central valley of California. Policies and procedures were analyzed and scored by the experts using a five-point Likert scale. Results were reviewed by the panel as they determined the best policies and procedures to reduce the impact and amount of cyberbullying in the middle school arena. There has been extensive research regarding bullying in schools and there has been an increasing amount of research about cyberbullying as well. However, a review of literature has indicated a gap in research regarding effective policies and procedures implemented at the middle school aimed at limiting cyberbullying. By quantifying middle school administrators&rsquo; responses, through a Delphi study, information indicated which district generated and site generated policies and procedures best assist with the reduction in cyberbullying. The panel also had the opportunity to share their knowledge regarding the results that were generated. The aim of the study was to determine the most effective policies and procedures to limit the impact and to reduce the number of cyberbullying incidences in a middle school setting </p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence student engagement in science. Increases in student engagement positively correlate to improved student achievement. This study targeted the lack of clarity regarding the relationships between the complexity of instructional objectives, teacher self-efficacy, past achievement, student grade level, and student engagement. This correlational design method uses a quantitative approach that includes observations of student engagement levels and a student self-report survey of engagement, as indicators of student engagement levels. A multiple regression analysis of each measure of student engagement instruments determine the influence of each variable to student engagement. Influencing student engagement would be a valuable tool for educators in designing student intervention and improving student achievement.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to contribute to the understanding of teacher retention by researching factors that influence veteran teachers to remain in Missouri&rsquo;s K-8 school districts. School districts all across the nation face the daunting task of improving student achievement in the face of teacher shortages, especially in rural areas and in hard-to-staff content fields such as math and science (Carver-Thomas &amp; Darling-Hammond, 2017; Harrington, 2017). Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the researcher sought to articulate the core perceptions of superintendents and veteran teachers that lead to longevity and retention in the K-8 school environment and to identify the factors that influence retention of teachers in Missouri K-8 districts. Research participants included Missouri K-8 superintendents and veteran teachers. Through interviews and surveys, perceptions regarding factors that influence teacher retention in K-8 districts were identified and analyzed for statistical differences. Interviews were conducted, responses summarized and categorized using open and axial coding, and similarities and commonalities identified. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to provide summaries to test the null hypothesis and report comparative data. The survey data analysis included use of the Mann-Whitney U test to determine whether two uncorrelated groups differed significantly. Survey data findings indicated no significant differences between K-8 superintendent and veteran teacher perceptions regarding retention factors. Interview and survey data conclusions revealed common retention factors such as culture/climate; administrative and community support and recognition; salary; working conditions (small class sizes/autonomy); and making a difference, or the work itself. </p><p>

<p> For most American High School students, taking algebra in high school has always been a rite of passage. Traditionally, Algebra I has long been a ninth-grade student's first experience with higher-level mathematics. To maintain a competitive edge in a global economy, numerous school districts in the United States have rearranged mathematics curricula to relocate algebra down to the middle school. Placement in eighth grade algebra provides students with an opportunity for rigor and higher levels of attainment in mathematics coursework by the completion of grade twelve. The effectiveness of moving algebra from grade nine to grade eight has become a highly debated topic amongst educators and lawmakers. Policymakers and administrators that favor moving Algebra I into the eighth grade believe doing so will assist in closing the achievement gap currently in existence for gender, race and socioeconomic status. To achieve this, substantial sums of money must be invested in the implementation of algebra programs in middle school. Proponents of grade eight algebra strongly advocate for algebra placement prior to high school as an intervention to reduce the gap between American students and their global counterparts. "The U.S. also needs to do a better job of identifying and nurturing its mathematically talented youth, regardless of their gender, race, or national origin. Doing so is vital to the future of the U.S. Economy" (Hyde, Mertz, &amp; Scheckman, 2009). In contrast, researchers such as Nomi (2012) have argued that early algebra placement is not beneficial for every child. Researchers such as Levy (2012) and Shearing (2016) agree that Black and Hispanic students, particularly of low socioeconomic status are victims of an achievement gap. "Students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch tend to be approximately two years behind that of students of the "average better-off student of the same age" (McKinsey &amp; Company, 2009, p. 6). While there has been agreement among the experts regarding the existence of the gap, their suggested solutions conflict. </p><p> The research conducted by this researcher will contribute to the existing literature on Algebra I placement. The purpose of this study was to examine both the proportionality of student placement in grade eight Algebra I by gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and the impact of grade eight Algebra I participation on academic performance on mathematics in a large, urban, New Jersey Public School District. This impact was measured based on the outcomes of Algebra I and Geometry final grades, Algebra I and Geometry PARCC scores, and tenth-grade mathematics PSAT/NMSQT scores. This study examined the relationships between academic outcomes for eighth-grade Algebra exposure and academic outcomes as described.</p><p>

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 74-85) Also available in print.