A study of the role that specification error plays in the ranking of meritorious schools produced by the "merit as residual" and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) regression-based procedures was conducted. Two specification issues, inclusion of relevant variables and functional form, were examined in the context of state and district level applications of merit assessment. / For the state level analysis, 100 schools were selected from the High School and Beyond data set to reflect a population of high schools in a state level setting. To examine what effect the removal of relevant variables has on the ranking of meritorious schools, various degrees of misspecification were introduced into a final analysis model. This final model was assumed to reflect the "true" ranking of schools. Misspecification was introduced by removing variables, or blocks of variables, from the model. School residuals produced by the misspecified models were compared with the school residuals produced by the "true" model to determine whether changes in school rankings occurred. / Six of the 100 schools used in the state level analysis were selected to reflect a population of high schools in a district level setting. An ANCOVA model was developed. This model provided a set of adjusted means which were used to rank the six schools. To examine misspecification attributed to functional form, the ANCOVA model was extended to an Aptitude-Treatment Interaction (ATI) model, which contained interaction terms. This ATI model, which was assumed to reflect the "true" model of student achievement, was used to provide three school rankings for different subgroups of students. / This study concluded that school rankings are dependent on the specification of the model used as the basis for making the merit assessment. The findings provided evidence that important ranking changes occurred even when relatively small increments in the amount of variance explained were associated with a block or individual variable. This conclusion, along with the current state of model development, suggests that school rankings produced by these procedures may not provide a close approximation of reality. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-07, Section: A, page: 1755. / Major Professor: Richard Tate. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 36-06, Section: A, page: 3552. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1975.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 36-02, Section: A, page: 0810. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1975.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-06, Section: A, page: 3505. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-02, Section: A, page: 0784. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 37-10, Section: A, page: 6391. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1976.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 39-03, Section: A, page: 1463. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1978.

Thesis (M.D.)--Boston University

<p> Demonstrated by this study, teachers as institutional agents can make a significant difference in the lives of their students during their educational endeavors and beyond. However, institutional agents remain rare within urban education, and adolescents&rsquo; access to these individuals in low-income communities is particularly low. This study used Stanton-Salazar&rsquo;s theory of social capital and construct of institutional agents as a lens to understand the experiences of 14 individuals who participated in the Freedom Writers program. By giving a voice to students two decades after completing high school, this study conveys a critical perspective to the urban educational field. With there being a limited understanding of the lasting impact of such individuals on students as they transition onto adulthood participants&rsquo; personal accounts were explored to better understand their experiences. </p><p> As a qualitative study, this research inquired into the actions that guided the participants at the individual and situational level to having successful experiences. Data collection occurred through the utilization of an in-depth, semi-structured interviewing method, which provided rich data of the roles and functions of their high school teacher, Erin Gruwell, as an institutional agent. Additionally, providing data of their use of certain supports as provided by or made possible through Gruwell, four themes emerged from the findings of this study: (1) survival mode, (2) journey to Freedom Writers, (3) finding support, and (4) life after Freedom Writers. Within these themes, an in-depth exploration of the findings indicated the careful attention Gruwell placed in assessing the needs of students in order to provide the necessary supports as permitted by her social network and available resources, which involved access to additional institutional agents or other networks; significant forms of information; and other supportive forms of resources. The findings further indicated there being a critical impact to participants&rsquo; social development, and academic and career success. Through positive teacher-student relationships teachers can provide positive educational experiences that can have lifelong implications to empower students and create opportunities for life changes. Through the perspectives of the 14 participants, this study can influence the work of practitioners and policymakers in focusing on the needs and concerns of students attending urban high schools as well as in supporting teachers as institutional agents at the high school level.</p><p>

In light of current, high-stakes debates about teacher quality, evaluation, and effectiveness, as well as the increased call for student voice in education reform, this qualitative dissertation explored how nineteen students in two alternative high schools described, understood, and experienced good teachers. More specifically, it considered the teacher qualities and characteristics that student participants named as most important and helpful, regardless of context, subject matter, or grade level. The study also considered how, if at all, participants' sharings could help adapt and extend a model for authenticity in teaching (Cranton & Carusetta, 2004) to the alternative education context. Two in-depth, qualitative interviews with each of the nineteen participants (approximately 30 hours, transcribed verbatim) were the primary data source. Three focus groups (approximately 3 hours), extended observations (140 hours), and document analysis (e.g., program pamphlets and websites, newspaper articles, classroom handouts) provided additional data. Data analysis involved a number of iterative steps, including writing analytic notes and memos; reviewing, coding, and categorizing data to identify key themes within and across cases; and crafting narrative summaries. Because participants were drawn to their alternative schools for a variety reasons (e.g., previous school failure, social anxiety/withdrawal, learning or behavioral challenges, etc.), and since participants experienced a wide range of educational environments prior to their current enrollments, this dissertation synthesized and brought together the ideas of a diverse group of students traditionally considered "at-risk." Despite their prior struggles, however, participants from both sites described powerful stories of re-engagement with school, which they attributed, at least in part, to their work with teachers in their alternative settings. Particularly, findings suggested that, for these nineteen participants, (1) feeling genuinely seen and valued by teachers (in the psychological sense), (2) seeing their teachers as "real" people, and (3) connecting authentically with teachers and others in their alternative school communities led to important academic, social, and personal gains. Given both historical and contemporary constructions of teaching as a selfless act--as one directed by or conducted for others, for instance--participants' overwhelming emphasis on mutual recognition and teacher selfhood was an especially important finding. Participants' reflections and descriptions likewise contributed to the literature on student-teacher relationships by offering a more nuanced, up-close portrait of these and other important school-based relationships in action. Bringing these findings together, this dissertation presents an expanded, three-part model for authentic teaching in alternative schools that involves seeing students, teaching with self, and relating authentically--including pedagogical takeaways in each of these three domains. It also offers implications for the supports, conditions, and professional learning needed to support teacher growth and interconnectedness in the classroom--and for policies concerning teacher evaluation and retention.