<p> Colleges of Nursing are attempting to identify and admit those students most likely to succeed and graduate. Multiple variables have been tested in various combinations to select students who will create the workforce to address the nursing needs of the 21^st century. The purpose of this study was to answer the research question of whether a relationship exists between pre-admission metrics and post-graduation board exams. The conceptual orientation of the study originated from Systems Theory, and a new theoretical model was created to address the interdependencies of the variables. A retrospective, correlational study design with a sample size of 367 records baccalaureate nursing graduates from a College of Nursing was used. Data collection from student records spanned over a four-year period. Six hypotheses were tested using correlational analyses measured by point biserial correlations, Chi-square analysis, and logistic regression. Remediation and length of program were not significant predictors of student success. Significant findings were found between scores on ATI^&reg; Comprehensive Predictor and first time pass rates on the NCLEX RN^&reg;.</p><p> Recommendations were provided to inspire future research in MLA pedagogy to promote student success. Key words: nontraditional pedagogy, mastery learning approach, systems based theory, overall GPA score, TEAS score, interview score, ATI CARP, remediation</p>

<p> This exploratory study examines the ways that teachers think about expectations they set for their students. It explores what influences teachers to form judgments about their students and the subsequent ways they communicate expectations to students. This study also explores whether there is a relationship between &ldquo;high-expectations teachers&rdquo; and culturally responsive teaching methods. This qualitative study utilizes ethnographic research measures, including inquiry group interviews, field notes, and individual teacher interviews to investigate the problem of understanding the nature of teacher expectancies in the school where the author is the principal and how teachers enact culturally relevant pedagogy within their respective classrooms. The results of the investigation revealed that there is a correlation between having high expectations for children and the use of culturally relevant teaching strategies.</p>

<p> High schools in the United States are charged with preparing students for citizenship and the knowledge, skills and experiences for success in postsecondary education and work. This study examines the problem of how to prepare students for college and work in a rural deindustrialized working-class community where jobs and careers that allow for upward economic mobility are scarce. </p><p> This ethnographic case study sought to understand the influences and interplay of school-based and non-school-based factors that influenced students&rsquo; decisions as they graduated and made the transition to college and work. Participants were two generational groups of alumni from working class families in the same high school. The first group was comprised of those who graduated in the decade that followed the closure of the railroad in Livingston, Montana in 1985. The second group was comprised of those who graduated a generation later, 20-30 years after deindustrialization. </p><p> The study found that the economic restructuring that occurred a generation after the deindustrialization altered the factors that affected the transition from high school to college and work for children in working class families. Financial stress and financial instability weighed more heavily on the present generation. College was seen as an investment in the 1985-1995 generational group, whereas college is a gamble for the 2005-2015 group. The 2005-2015 working class group saw themselves as &ldquo;too rich&rdquo; for grants, but &ldquo;too poor&rdquo; to afford college. While parent expectations for educational attainment remain the same for all participants, the latter group has fewer community ties and a greater reliance on educators in the high school. </p><p> The study concludes with recommendations that include interventions in the areas of college and career counseling, an examination of rural college and career readiness, critical pedagogical and collective impact approaches. The study calls upon school leadership to articulate competing discourses that shape educational practice and policy, and to be informed by the awareness that students&rsquo; subjective experiences of their lives are embedded within economic, political and social structures, as they attempt to intervene in the lives of young adults who will enter a precarious labor market.</p>

Nursing accreditation bodies have recommended that nursing education programs prepare graduates who display competence in leadership. However, the reality of how nursing leadership skillsets are acquired at the undergraduate level and transferred into practice remains debatable. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how nursing educators teach leadership in Louisiana baccalaureate programs contrasted with ideal policy expectations. The action learning and reflective practice theories provided the foundational theoretical influences for this study. Six face-to-face virtual interviews were conducted with nursing faculty who were currently teaching or had taught leadership in a baccalaureate nursing program for at least 1 year. Data collection and analysis using the constant comparative method of the Corbin and Strauss grounded theory approach was used. From the data analysis, 7 main themes were identified, including the purpose of the leadership course, the selected teaching strategies to meet the purpose of the course, teaching to support student learning styles and workplace expectations, the application of evidence-based practice principles for leadership, the measured effectiveness of selected teaching strategies, faculty perspectives of leadership efficacy at the undergraduate level, and faculty perspectives for future nursing leadership education. Research findings suggest that positive social change for undergraduate nursing education could be influenced by the employment of active learning and reflective practice allowing the student to experience leadership, reflect on leadership, and improve on developing leadership competence. The generalist would become receptive to leadership before entry into practice, impacting the changing healthcare environment.

<p> While high levels of skills in education and achievement are critical for a student&rsquo;s social and economic success, schools have yet to live up to their educational responsibilities to children of color and children living in poverty. Nationwide, the achievement gap affects students of color, particularly low-income Latino students. Gay argued that contributing to educational deficits are teachers who do not understand the importance of knowing their students&rsquo; cultural backgrounds. This qualitative dissertation utilized the conceptual frameworks of culturally responsive pedagogy and sociocultural interactions to understand Latina Head Start preschool teachers&rsquo; perspectives in the classroom when implementing culturally responsive pedagogy embedded within sociocultural interactions in classrooms. </p><p> The major findings in this study documented that the Latina Head Start preschool teacher participants were sensitive to the unique needs of Latinao dual language learners from low-income families. The teacher participants overwhelmingly reported that providing emotional support, <i>cari&ntilde;o </i> (affection), and empathy to all of the children throughout classroom interactions was vital for student learning. They regularly used the children&rsquo;s home language, Spanish, and supported children&rsquo;s development in both languages. The Latina Head Start preschool teacher participants expressed a sense of commitment and responsibility to ensure each Latino child is successful. The Latina Head Start preschool teacher participants shared a natural ability to teach with <i>cari&ntilde;o</i> while utilizing culturally responsive pedagogy with interwoven sociocultural interactions as they worked with their Latina/o students.</p><p>

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), No Child Left Behind, brought the use of student assessment data to the fore. This mandate-based and sanction-laden legislation ushered in a new era of accountability rooted in the collection, analysis, and use of student assessment data for educational improvements. As a result, a new boon industry has emerged around formative assessment products. This study begins by exploring the policies that have ushered in an assessment-driven accountability era. Then, the empirical and conceptual literature around the implementation and use of formative assessment systems is summarized. While there is promising literature on the effectiveness of formative assessment products, understanding what fosters or inhibits the use of assessment data for school teachers‘ needs further exploration. The purpose of this study is to understand if and how teachers are using formative assessment products or systems to impact their pedagogical decision-making in classrooms. This study will also focus on how school and district leadership teams choose or support the formative assessment system. In essence, this study seeks to investigate the fidelity of formative assessment products the actual impact used by schoolteachers; and more importantly, how data is transformed into information and ultimately knowledge. Research Questions. The research questions from this study are anchored in elements of fit, readiness, coherence, and use. Specifically, the intent of this research is to understand: (1) The district's intended purpose and the formative assessment system purpose of validity ( Fit); (2) The capacity of teachers' to use formative assessment data to inform their pedagogical decision-making (Readiness); (3) The school district (and individual schools') ability to create, support, and resources the implementation and use of formative assessment systems ( Coherence); And, (4) The actual use of formative assessment data by school teachers' in regard to pedagogical decision-making. Consequently, the study's research questions are as follows: (1) Are teachers and district/school leaders using the formative assessment data to inform educative decision-making and pedagogy? (a). How are teachers using these data to modify instruction/practice? (b) How are school leaders using these data for programmatic and in-service decisions? (2) Are the formative assessment products valid for their intended purposes? (a) Are the assessments used by the district valid for evaluating and improving instruction? (b) Are the assessments used by the district valid for measuring student progress? (c) Are the assessment used by the district valid for modifying teaching practices? (3) Are teachers ready and able to use formative assessment data in meaningful and effective ways? (a) How has the school district supported and resource the use of the formative assessment system? (b) How are teachers using these data to modify instruction/practice? Research Design. To answer the research questions, the research implements a three-phase design. To begin, phase one involves the identification of school districts in the state of Florida that have implemented a formative assessment system. These systems are examined to ascertain which are truly student-level diagnostic instruments (the Black and Wiliam (1998), definition of formative assessment was used to guide this analysis). Phase two documents why and how the formative assessment system was implemented into the district. Finally, phase three examines the actual use of the formative assessment system by teachers in the district.