The deficit narrative about marginalized students of color attributes their failure in school to some nature of innate cognitive deficiency, cultural, social, and familial dysfunctions among other schools of thoughts. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to provide a rich description about this phenomenon and to propose theoretical pedagogical adjustments in the classroom as it relates to educating students of color. The study applies Charmaz (2014) Constructivist approach to grounded theory methods to examine the following research questions: (RQ1) How do teachers' narratives about students of color depict their teaching experiences and (RQ2) How do teachers' narratives about students of color inform students learning? Two overarching themes emerged in this study: practicing color blindness impacts cultural responsiveness while perpetuate deficit thinking, and understanding cultural background stimulates sensitivity when designing curriculum for students of color. The findings of this research demonstrate teachers' deficit thinking depicts their pedagogical practices and informs students learning. The research has both practical and theoretical implications for dispelling the deficit thinking regarding students of color.

The practice of tracking has had longstanding negative impacts on students, especially students in lower academic tracks. This research suggests that tracking develops the themes of a narrative of deficit through inequality and exclusion and impedes student motivation due to the negative implications. A common finding of outside research studies was that of disapproval for the current school organizational structure of tracking due to the negative consequences on students. Furthermore, several research studies developed an outline of positive ways to advocate for a unifying system of educational change. Educational leaders should heed the suggestions of researchers to promote changes within the system to benefit marginalized students. Students' silenced narratives should be considered to promote voice within educational change. The purpose of this narrative research is to explore motivation through the overt and covert narratives of 10th grade English Language Arts students, who self-select higher and lower academic tracks at a large, southeastern United States, public high school through a qualitative unstructured questionnaire. This study also observes 10th grade English Language Arts students' ability to discuss these issues. Using information from a 10-question qualitative, unstructured questionnaire of twelve (12) research participants, this thesis explores the following questions: Research question one (RQ1): What are 10th grade English Language Arts students' attitudes towards higher and lower academic tracks?, Research question two (RQ2): What factors contribute to 10th grade English Language Arts students' motivation to self-select higher and lower academic tracks?

The aim is to understand if the implementation plan in place by the public school system is exceeding the expectations of the stakeholders or if it is falling below what is expected. This quantitative research examines the English Language Arts (ELA), Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) scores for the state of Florida with a closer inspection of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) with relation to their digital implementation plan. With an increase in digital technology and amplified emphasis on technology-based learning, the objective of this research was to determine what impact students and schools are experiencing in regards to test scores after the first year of implementation. Data reflects a decrease in gains in relation to ELA test scores, specifically within the year of implementation of technology. With the knowledge of this information the conversation needs to be started about what needs to be done to help this from becoming a permanent issue. There needs to be an allotment for adjustments to allow for the inclusion of strategies to assist in the minimizing of the achievement gap.

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This purpose of this study was to determine to what extent programs for language-minority students at TBR community colleges adhere to the recommendations contained in the Conference on College Composition and Communications 2009 Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers and to investigate the factors beyond these professional recommendations that influence administrative decision-making about these programs and their designs. This study contained a survey sent to individuals at all 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system and follow-up interviews with 5 survey respondents from different institutions. Analysis of the results of the study indicates all TBR community colleges across the state are utilizing the CCCC’s 2009 recommendations to some degree but that no single institution has fully implemented every recommendation. Additionally, the survey showed that, across the system, the most followed recommendations are those related to classroom practices. Other areas assessed including placement, available resources, administrative decisions, and instructor qualifications were all implemented in decreasing order. The least followed recommendations are those concerning recruitment of learners into the program. Results also show that other factors beyond professional recommendations which influence the design and delivery of programs for language minority students include financial or budgetary considerations, administrative considerations beyond budget, misconceptions or a lack of knowledge about language minority students, the presence of experienced or dedicated ESL faculty, partnerships between offices on campus, the local, state, and national political climate, and an understanding that no program can meet the needs of all learners. These conclusions yield a number of considerations useful to individuals looking to implement or improve services for language minority students at their institution.

Like taking a private class with an engaging literature professor, Book Smart is your ticket for literary enlightenment all year long and for the rest of your life. Whether you're a passionate turner of pages or you aspire to be better-read, Book Smart expands your knowledge and enjoyment with a month-by-month plan that tackles 120 of the most compelling books of all time. Throughout the year, each book comes alive with historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters, and advice on how to approach reading. Here is a sampling of what you can expect: January: Make a fresh start with classics like Beowulf and Dante's Inferno April: Welcome spring in the company of strong women like Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, and Vanity Fair's Becky Sharpe August: Bring a breath of fresh air to summer's heat with comedic works from Kingsley Amis and Oscar Wilde October: Get back to school with young people struggling to grow up in classics like Little Women and recent bestsellers such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time December: Celebrate year's end with big prizewinners such as The Remains of the Day and Leaves of Grass / https://dc.etsu.edu/alumni_books/1023/thumbnail.jpg

The major purpose of this study was to find out how to encourage Title I family engagement as the school funds were decreasing in the next school year. I wanted to determine how to continue, as well as increase, parental engagement at a Title I elementary school in a rural setting.;The Title I program focuses on assisting students who are economically disadvantaged in order to raise their academic skills in the areas of reading and math. The parents of the children eligible for Title I reading services at the time of the study were the participants. I used the Appreciative Inquiry method to gather information from parents. By using a set of appreciative interview questions, I learned the parents' perspective about the reading activities that the school offered to the Title I parents. Parents selected themes from several paired interview sessions. The data analysis of the story circles of parents, frequency analysis of themes, the per capita costs of each activity, and the design team of parents, gave me insight as to what activities attracted parents and why parents chose to participate at school sponsored Title I events at this school. Recommendations for continued family engagement include a challenge to seek ways to engage all families in a school -- family partnerships and to involve parents who could, but who choose not to attend school events.

The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of literacy coaching as a vehicle for professional development and growth by describing the impact of the Community Coaching Cohort Model on teachers' instructional literacy practices. Using a qualitative case study design, four questions were answered pertaining to participants' feelings and perceptions about the coaching model, how their experience impacted their knowledge and skills about literacy as well as the instruction in their classroom, and the impact their learning had on their students. Four cohorts of teachers in two schools from a large suburban district were used to complete the study. Data were collected at the end of the coaching cycle through the use of panel interviews, individual interviews, a questionnaire, and the collection of artifacts. The analysis of these data found that most participants felt positively about working in a coaching cohort because their learning was applicable and useful, the experience was personalized to their needs, and the model fostered collaboration among their colleagues. Participants also reported numerous ways their knowledge about literacy was expanded and discussed many examples of how their classroom instruction was impacted. These teachers also discussed evidence of student learning in specific aspects of literacy. The results of this study indicate that the Community Coaching Cohort Model was an effective form of professional development for these participants because it was a clearly defined model that was delivered by highly-qualified coaches with a neutral, supportive stance toward teachers.

Licensed primary teachers (N = 93) in nine schools completed surveys of their self-efficacy beliefs, level of implementation, and the value they placed on the strategies before and after participating in four levels of inservice training in the Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading. The independent variable was the structure of the training teachers received, and the dependent variables were teacher sense of efficacy in general, teacher sense of efficacy for reading, implementation of the reading strategies, and the value of the reading strategies taught. Components of the training for the use of Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading were structured into four treatment groups aligned with three of the four sources of self-efficacy development identified by Bandura (1997). Findings indicated that implementation of the Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading increased as inservice training increased in intensity. The most powerful training format was mastery experience, which was distinguished from the other training formats by the addition of follow-up coaching. Inservice training format made a significant contribution to the change in teacher sense of efficacy for reading. Initial teacher sense of efficacy in general and initial teacher sense of efficacy for reading were not factors in predicting the level of implementation of the reading strategies. Final teacher sense of efficacy for reading made a significant contribution to explaining variance in implementation. The strength of the effect of the follow-up coaching workshop model on implementation overpowered the other tested variables. Statistical significance of the change in sense of efficacy for reading was lost when compared with the impact of the follow-up coaching model. Value covaried almost perfectly with implementation for this sample. Unexpected decreases occurred in the change in efficacy scores across treatment groups; a surprising number of participants rated their sense of efficacy lower on the final survey than on the first. Dips in self-efficacy beliefs with exposure to a potentially powerful new teaching strategy underscore the importance of the final treatment component, follow-up coaching, to bolstering teachers' motivation to overcome the anxiety of trying something new.