This study describes how the Grade Ten New Standards Reference Examination is used in an urban school district to predict student achievement on the Grade Eleven Pennsylvania State System of Assessment. It was hypothesized that proficient scores on the New Standards Reference Examination are closely associated with high scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. It was found that a high correlation of agreement exists between the two assessments on proficiency levels which support the hypothesis that the Grade Ten New Standards Reference Examination is a valid predictor of how well students will perform on the Grade Eleven Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.

This study focuses on the time when the Indonesia government launched a new national curriculum, CBC, in response to both the need to produce human resources to survive in the era of globalization and the change in the government system from centralization to decentralization, which resulted in increasingly greater responsibility at the local level in implementing the reforms. As the reforms regarding the decentralization of certain educational functions and processes in Indonesia continue, understanding the impact on curriculum reform and the changes at local school levels will be essential. The objective of this study was to investigate the ways in which primary school teachers respond to the implementation of CBC, particularly issues like curriculum diversification, learning materials, syllabus design, and student assessment. Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language), one of the subjects in the primary school, was selected as a focus of interest in this study. Sixty-five primary schools from two provinces were selected: Jakarta municipality (represents urban community) and Kodya Bandung, West Java (represents sub-urban community); and 286 teachers were invited to participate. The survey instrument featured closed-ended questions of twenty-five education-related and six demographics-related questions in different. A descriptive statistic was applied to the SPSS and used for data analysis. The current study reveals that over the long-term, in-service teacher training (INSET) has addressed only one third of the training badly needed by teachers. Teachers claimed to know what CBC is, but in actual classroom implementation of CBC, these teachers were lost, returning instead to the former curriculum, which they were more comfortable teaching. This study also investigates the policy issues regarding teachers improvements using the three sets of terminology adopt, adapt, and implement to portray the connection between the conceptual and the practical sides of classroom teaching and learning activities. The implications of this study for further policy implementation of the CBC address two issues: the needs of teachers training and the teachers quality improvements. Regarding the government policy of decentralization, the policy actors the center, teachers forums and the Curriculum Network Group must establish a strong collaborative team of professional agents that will improve the quality of teachers.

Using the Weidman (1989) Undergraduate Socialization model, the present study attempts to examine the distinction between educational and career aspirations in public and private university freshman of Semarang, Indonesia. The correlation between the four dimensions of independent variables, student characteristics, parental socialization, significant others, and collegiate experiences, and four dependent variables, educational aspirations, expecting a position as a government employee, expecting a position as a private employee, and career aspirations were analyzed. Data were collected through a survey distributed to 379 freshmen students from two public and two private universities, using a stratified sampling method to analyze data from each university. Data were analyzed using zero order correlations and multiple regressions analysis. For both public and private university students, almost all student characteristic variables that correlate with educational and career aspirations showed a significant positive effect, and the degree of its correlation for the public sample is greater than for the private counterpart. For both public and private university students, almost all parental socioeconomic status indicated a positive significance for educational and career aspirations. For private students, there were some significant negative effects of parental encouragement, but, on the other hand, no significant negative effects appear on educational and career aspirations. All variable significant other for public university showed a positive effect on career aspirations and some negative effects on three other dependent variables, while for the private university only one variable, significant other, showed a positive significant effect on career aspirations and two variables had negative effects on expecting a position as a private employee. In the public university sample, almost all collegiate experiences variables that had a correlation to educational and career aspirations showed significant positive effects. In addition, the relative absence of collegiate experiences for educational and career aspirations, especially social integration, is somewhat contradictory to Weidmans model. Expecting a position as a government employee and expecting a position as private employee are new variables and were never used as criterion in the previous research on educational and career aspirations. However, it is not effective enough to employ in the model of educational and career aspirations.

The dissertation is directed toward a simulation study of social influence in small, task-oriented, groups composed of education professionals of differing status who hold differing beliefs about what constitutes the reportable physical abuse of elementary students by parents. It is asserted on philosophical grounds that simulation allows the development and refinement of computational, process-based, models that reflect the stratified nature of social and educational reality. More practically, simulation makes it possible to trace socio-cultural processes over time rather than simply settle for an input-output analysis. The possibility of more adequate explanation, and transformation, of social and educational systems makes simulation relatively superior to other research methods. Persons are modeled as computational objects that participate in social relations. The simulation is based on the social-psychological theory of expectation states and is expressly framed to allow comparison of: (1) a static model and process model of social influence and (2) the social theories of Giddens and Archer regarding the timing of social tie formation. National data are used to formulate models of professional belief concerning N = 111 cases of reported physical abuse. The chief findings are: (1) as applied to the group task of child abuse reporting, the collective decision outcomes obtained from the two models of social influence disagree by a number greater than that expected by chance alone, and (2) as modeled, there is essentially no difference in the simulated collective decision outcomes generated under each theory concerning the timing of social tie formation. Several refinements are needed. First, it is important to construct a more adequate characterization of the relevant beliefs of education professionals, best done via the construction of an ethnographic decision model for each professional type. Second, given the importance of social influence, the simulation should be extended to incorporate socio-linguistic, especially argumentative, behavior. Third, it is important to extend the model to take into account the constraining power of belief with respect to social action. These extensions would add believability to the model and its outputs, thus enhancing its power to inform social and educational theory and practice.

This study reviewed the history of minority students access to higher learning in the state of Pennsylvania. In addition, recent trends concerning minority students access to Pennsylvanias four-year baccalaureate-degree granting institutions of higher education were examined. Emphasis was placed on examining the status of affirmative action policies in college admissions. Issues regarding equal opportunity provided the foundation for the conceptual frame of the study. The study found that Pennsylvanias four-year institutions of higher education have historically operated within the full context of the law regarding affirmative action policy in college admissions. The study also examined; Access, Preparation, Admissibility, Affordability, and the Legal-Institutional implications of college access. The survey methodology utilized a sample frame of 106 of the states 108 four-year institutions of higher education. In addition, two community colleges were included in the sample to review transferability of minority students to four-year institutions. The target group consisted of 120 Admissions Officers and Enrollment Managers from 106 Pennsylvania baccalaureate degree-granting institutions of higher education and 2 community colleges. The response rate for the survey was 98 of 120 equaling 82%. The study found that Pennsylvania admissions officers perceived that minority students academic preparedness for four-year baccalaureate-degree study required significant improvement. These findings showed, that in spite of perceived academic shortcomings, the majority of the states four-year colleges and universities reported that minority students were generally admissible to their institutions. Admissions officers reported that transferring minority students from two- to four-year schools to increase access was not a priority for their institutions. The findings also indicated that a significant number of admissions officers perceived that affordability and the cost of attendance at Pennsylvanias four-year institutions impeded minority students access to baccalaureate-degree study. Based on the research findings, this study outlines several policy options for implementing affirmative action admissions practices and increasing four-year rates of college entry for Pennsylvania resident minority students.

Teacher quality has produced voluminous studies that line many a research library. Discussion on what it is, how it is developed, and its connection to student achievement have become the hallmark of educational jargon in the 21st century. This narrative seeks to look at teacher quality in a way in which it brings the elements to life: as a means 1) to review how the terms excellence and quality are shaped by policy, specifically, the No Child Left Behind law 2) to identify how educators perceive teaching quality, and 3) to review how quality is cultivated in teachers. Within this scope, I will be reviewing ways in which the terms quality and excellence are defined. I will also review how the term quality teaching is created from a social construct, how this social construct interplays with the No Child Left Behind mandates, administrators perceptions, and teachers intrinsic motivation to aspire to be a quality teacher. I have chosen a narrative interpretive approach as the means to share this information with the reader. In-depth interviews will constitute the data portion of the study with attention given to the literary nature of teacher quality. In looking at how educators perceive teacher quality, I have chosen two school districts that are mirror opposites of each other in minority population, socioeconomic status, and tax base. One district is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a Free and Reduced Lunch ratio of less than 1%. It has consistently received high ranking on the state assessment tests for the past four years. The second district is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a Free and Reduced Lunch ratio of more than 90%. This district has been on the state warning list and improvement list. The social contrasts between the two schools are striking; the richness of their backgrounds is remarkable.

ABSTRACT: Even though teacher supervision is an everyday practice in schools there is little known about its effect on teachers professional growth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of supervision on teachers professional growth from the principals perspective. Ten High School Principals were interviewed in a semi-structured, open-ended interview format. Results indicated that the Principals felt that supervision can have an impact on teachers professional growth, but the level to which is dependent on the type of supervision model used. The majority of Principals felt that the Walkthrough model is the most effective method in helping teachers focus on instruction

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide school administrators with effective programs that are successful in lessening high-risk behaviors among students. Qualitative research methodology was used to collect data through personal interviews and document analysis. The sample population consisted of five senior high school principals administering in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The research questions investigated key components included in senior high school prevention programs to address high-risk behaviors among students. The methods and indicators of success utilized to determine the effectiveness of the high schools prevention programs were also examined. As a result of the study, it was found that all of the senior high schools implement preventative and reactive programs to address drug, alcohol and tobacco use and violent activity among students. Specific programs to reduce sexual activity among students were only implemented in one of the five senior high schools participating in this study. Key components included in the programming efforts to reduce high-risk behaviors include increasing student academic achievement, engaging students in their school community, strategies to develop restraint and resistance skills, conflict resolution skills and efforts to build meaningful student-adult relationships. Only one school objectively measures its programs effectiveness in reducing high-risk behaviors among students. The remainder of the schools utilize subjective evaluations to support the effectiveness of the programming efforts.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the influence that a differentiated teacher supervision system has on improving classroom instruction. Qualitative research methodology was used to collect data through personal interviews and document analysis. The sample population consisted of high school administrators working in three southwestern Pennsylvania school districts. The research questions investigated high school principal perceptions on differentiated supervisions ability to improve classroom instruction based upon Charlotte Danielsons Four Domains of Instruction. Principal perceptions regarding differentiated supervisions influence on school culture and the most effective differentiated supervision options were also explored. The analysis of the data was done through descriptive narrative and the use of charts to depict common answers and themes. Key findings include a strong principal preference for differentiated teacher supervision. Also, principals indicate that differentiated supervision was effective in fostering a school culture characteristic of teacher collaboration, professional inquiry, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Also, principals felt that differentiated teacher supervision was very effective in improving the planning and preparation, classroom instruction, and professionalism of teachers through collegiality and professional inquiry. Principals perceived that cooperative professional development was the most effective model for improving classroom instruction.

This study sought to add to the knowledge and understanding of the organizational change process for successfully implementing an integrated information literacy program in one American high school. Participant experiences were accessed to identify and describe elements of their successful change process, barriers and supports that affected its success, and discover the relationships among key concepts. It also explored participants beliefs about the affect of the program on student achievement and examined how these beliefs affected implementation. A qualitative naturalistic inquiry was conducted and reported in a case study format. A Delphi study identified potential high schools meeting study criteria and purposive sampling identified study participants. Primary sources were in-depth, open-ended interviews focused on participants recollections and understandings of the change process, with additional data drawn from relevant school/state documents, a personal research journal, and relevant literature. Data were analyzed using grounded theory practices. Findings indicated that successful implementation was dependent upon six key concepts: (1) distributed leadership (core concept); (2) effective leadership (3) open and frequent communication (4) better relationships; (5) shared aspects of teaching and learning (6) elements of the information literacy program. Conclusions were: (1) simultaneous occurrence of need, opportunity and leadership for change was essential for successful implementation; (2) distributed leadership practiced by administrators empowered the teacher-librarian and teachers to assume leadership roles; (3) teacher-librarian leadership requires access to ongoing, high quality professional development; (4) continuous high quality, staff development and teacher-librarian staff development role are essential for successful implementation; (5) full-time teacher-librarian and full-time secretary may be inadequate staffing for an integrated program; (6) teacher-librarians open and frequent communication is key to successful implementation; (7) teachers are at different places on the institutionalization continuum; (8) most serious barriers to implementation are time constraints, heavy workload, and fear of changing ones teaching; (9) a successful program requires a combination of key supporting factors; (10) school library and teacher-librarian role changes are indicators of successful implementation; (11) improved staff relationships result from and propel successful implementation; (12) an integrated information literacy program with a central role for the teacher-librarian contributes to improved teaching and learning.