<p> This qualitative study examined how teachers use instructional practices and family reinforcement interventions to support intrinsic motivation for special education students as a means to meet graduation requirements. Purposeful sampling of highly qualified special education teachers certified in language arts was used in this study. The data were collected through three teacher participant interviews, classroom observations, and a collection of documents and artifacts. </p><p> The findings are presented and discussed through the three main themes that emerged from data analysis and interpretation. Three main themes described instructional practices used to support intrinsic motivation for special education students as a means to meet requirements for graduation: collaboration, relevant/meaningful learning, and relationships. One main theme described how teachers use family support interventions to provide intrinsic motivation for special education students as a means to meet requirements for graduation: open/transparent communication. This study adds to the body of literature regarding instructional practices and family support interventions to support intrinsic motivation as a means of meeting graduation requirements.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative design study was to better understand the experiences of high school general education English teachers who have students with Asperger Syndrome in their classes. More specifically, this researcher wanted to better understand the teacher&rsquo;s perception of the IEP-denoted accommodations the general education teachers are responsible for implementing. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, journal entries and collection of artifacts. Findings of this study include: the IEP document and IEP process from the lens of the general education teacher do not provide adequate information when considering the unique needs of students with Asperger Syndrome; general education English teachers are committed not only to forming relationships with students with Asperger Syndrome, but often take it a step further, taking on the role of advocating for the student as well as encouraging the student to advocate for himself or herself; and general education English teachers are committed to doing what works for the student, regardless of what information can be found in the IEP document.</p>

<p> A Case Study Market Analysis of Acceleration Mechanisms in Florida: Dual Enrollment Positioning. Laura Melissa Perry, 2013: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Acceleration (Education), Competition, Dual Enrollment, Marketing, Recruitment </p><p> This applied dissertation explored dual enrollment viability when compared to other acceleration mechanisms: (a) advanced placement, (b) advanced international certificate of education, (c) international baccalaureate, and (d) college-level examination program. This multicase, qualitative study explored the competitiveness of dual enrollment versus other acceleration mechanism using Porter's model and the strengths-weaknessesopportunities-threats analysis as the theoretical frameworks. The study used one-on-one interviews to gather primary comparative information. Five groups were interviewed: (a) the vendors of the acceleration mechanisms, (b) state education officials, (c) district personnel, (d) high school representatives, and (e) higher education representatives. The acceleration mechanisms' educational objectives, their positioning, and any acceleration mechanisms' benefits to the various stakeholders were examined. Dual enrollment was compared to the other acceleration mechanisms to develop recommendations for improving the competitive positioning and viability of dual enrollment in Florida. </p><p> The study found that acceleration-mechanism options were complex and dynamic programs that were highly influenced by government policies and funding. Educational entities viewed the value of acceleration mechanisms differently, especially dual enrollment. All groups agreed that acceleration mechanisms provided rigorous curriculum for high school students to prepare for college. However, educational entities first wanted to protect their own interests and funding. In terms of dual enrollment, financial considerations remained a substantial motivation for the program. The study showed that all acceleration mechanisms offered benefits to participating students. However, the multifaceted and ever-changing nature of acceleration mechanisms provided no clear advantages or benefits for dual enrollment versus other acceleration mechanisms. Several recommendations are made that addressed concerns about the long-term value of dual enrollment for Florida institutions and students.</p>

The purpose of this study was to provide pertinent data to enable public school administrators and counselors, through counseling services assessment, to make rational and logical decisions regarding perceptions that can be used in targeting areas within the counseling department which need to be improved to address the success of high school at-risk students. The main emphasis of the study was to assess the perceptions of at-risk students, randomly selected parents of at-risk students, secondary teachers, counselors, and administrators regarding the evaluation of high school counseling services to the success of at-risk students. Perceptual trends, similarities and differences among participating groups were also examined. This study's focus was to better understand the effectiveness of delivering counseling services from a collective perspective, viewing evaluation of counseling services as a tool in which it can be used to ensure consistency in conceptualizing and measuring success of at-risk students. The test group had 506 valid cases with three missing cases, examining the perceptions of at-risk students, teachers, counselors, randomly selected parents of at-risk students and students at Project COPE in the School District of Osceola County, Florida and analyzed the data using four one-way factorial ANOVAs of mean item satisfactory rating broken down by site (Gateway, Osceola, St. Cloud High Schools and Project COPE) in turn with: (1) Group (Students-208; parents-32; teachers-237; counselors-4; and administrators-25). (2) Gender (male and female). (3) Ethnicity (Anglo, Hispanic American, African American, Native American, others). Major findings revealed that organization and administration of counseling services and programs to the success of secondary at-risk students in the School District of Osceola County, Florida are at least "adequate" in that: at-risk students were adequately informed of counseling services; were adequately informed of career information and work education programs. Subjects were generally satisfied with programs designed to meet the needs of at-risk students. Overall, the counseling staff showed positive strengths in such areas as encouraging at-risk students to stay in school; keeping at-risk students informed of academic and social programs in school; responding to at-risk students' needs and exhibiting concern and providing student-parent-teacher-counselor conferences regularly. Conclusion. The subjects differed on many of the 40 items of this study, but only a few showed any significant differences in their perceptions of counseling services and programs to the success of at-risk students. However, all groups saw their differences as being important components at the high school in which they are involved.

<p> Increasing the independence of individuals with severe disabilities is of increasing concern to schools and federal agencies. Improving quality of life for high needs individuals with disabilities is an objective of transition programs, which allow consumers to adapt from one aspect of life to the next. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between variables (a) vocational assessment and exploration; (b) workplace readiness training; (c) independent living skills; and (d) self-advocacy and self-care and the independence level of individuals with severe disabilities residing and receiving their education within an institutionalized setting. Finally, this study will examine the efficacy of the Functional Independent Skills Handbook curriculum and assessment in addressing the independent living skills needs of individuals with severe disabilities in-residence in a state institution. Participants include adolescents with severe disabilities receiving services from the Special Purpose School at the Parsons State Hospital. </p><p> The results obtained by this study may be of extreme use to educators, service providers, and policy makers in Kansas, as well as other states utilizing a similar institutionalization model for severely disabled individuals. The study yielded statistically significant results that a focused, leveled curriculum emphasizing (a) vocational assessment and exploration; (b) workplace readiness training; (c) independent living skills; and (d) self-advocacy and self-care can increase the independence level of individuals with severe disabilities.</p>

<p> This dissertation addresses 12 questions related to an overall investigation designed to determine if there is a relationship between teacher perceptions of professional development and student achievement in rural Maryland. During an era of federal, state, and local education reform, lessons learned could help dramatically redesign professional development for the future. &ldquo;Pedagogical Content Knowledge&rdquo; (PCK) coined in 1986 by Lee Shulman, a past president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the 1995 book written by Stephen Brookfield <i>Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher </i> helped to form the conceptual framework of this study. </p><p> Twelve elements relating to professional development were part of the questions on the Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning (TELL) Maryland Survey of 2011 and 2013. The change in these TELL Maryland Survey teacher perceptions was correlated with the change in student High School Assessment (HSA) senior exit exam results for the same time period. Data were included from 79% (11,365 of 14,368) of teachers in 80% (63 of 79) of all rural high schools in Maryland that reported HSA senior exit exam data and responded at a 50% or higher rate on both studied years of the TELL Maryland Survey. </p><p> After analyzing statewide data, disaggregated by five regions, it was determined that three professional development elements had positive correlations and nine had negative correlations, although none of these were statistically significant. Those elements that correlated most positively with student achievement (with shortened titles used in the study) were collaboration, reflect(ion), and time. The literature review provided insight into some possible reasons for these results.</p>

<p> Parental engagement with schools is often considered one of the major contributing factors to a child&rsquo;s success in school. There is not, however, a definition of parental engagement that takes into account the social, historical, and cultural factors that shape a parent&rsquo;s view of their own engagement. This qualitative case study examines how African American parents in a high poverty, urban, charter middle school, come to understand practices and beliefs at their child&rsquo;s school, while building relationships with other parents and school staff. Through the lenses of critical race theory and cultural-historical activity theory, the researcher analyzes how the convergence of race, power, history, and culture frame perspectives of policy makers, those who work in schools, and parents. Through the voices of African American parents, in a socioeconomically disadvantaged school community, they define their own engagement.</p>

<p> This study investigated high school students&rsquo; definitions and interpretations of what an animal is, with a focus on marine animals. Past studies have shown that students&rsquo; definitions of animals often center on themes of movement or appendages. In this study, student responses were analyzed against a predetermined definition of an animal--a multicellular eukaryotic organism that is heterotrophic. Marine animals consistently misidentified by the students were also identified. </p><p> The data for this study was collected through surveys and interviews, using ninth grade high school students. Students were asked to identify marine organisms as animals or not, and to provide a definition or reasoning for classifying organisms as animals.</p><p> The purpose of this study is to better inform educators of the preconceptions about animals, specifically marine animals, that students bring into the classroom. This will allow educators to address those preconceptions to encourage a fuller understanding of animals in their students.</p>

<p> This study examines the perceived intellectual and dispositional takeaways for high school alumni who had been peer tutors in their secondary context. The research question which drove this study was, &ldquo;What abilities, values, and skills do tutors develop from their experience as peer tutors and how, if at all, have they used those abilities, values, and skills in their lives beyond high school?&rdquo; The findings come from the completed surveys of 63 high school tutor alumni who all tutored at a large, public suburban high school with a diverse population, and who represent a cross-section of the school&rsquo;s population. The survey was adapted from one made available by the Peer Writing Tutor Alumni Research Project (PWTARP), a national project which seeks to better understand the developmental process of students who engage in the work of peer tutoring during their undergraduate university experience. I collected this data between 2010 and 2013 in my role as the program coordinator and although I knew these tutors very well, their responses were anonymous. Participants named 25 skills, abilities, and values they developed. Participants also indicated, through the survey&rsquo;s four Likert-scale questions, that they found their tutor experiences were important or influential to their development after high school. This study used the grounded theory method of initial and focused coding for analysis of the data generated by the survey&rsquo;s open-ended responses. These responses generated 180 pages of text. During the analysis 132 initial codes were applied to 2,231 excerpts from the survey responses. The 132 initial codes were grouped into 34 focused codes. These focused codes were further consolidated into 11 categories that describe the learned skills, innate abilities, and developed values of respondents. These analytic categories are descriptive in nature and constitute the major findings of this study. These categories include writing, reading, collaboration, adaptability, patience, perseverance, confidence, maturity, leadership, bravery, and joie de vivre.</p>

<p> This thesis critically evaluates the essence of First Year Composition (FYC) and establishes the benefits a composition course would offer high school students. The intended purpose is to assess the feasibility of teaching FYC in the high school classroom and to consider views from the perspectives of students, teachers, and scholars in order to formulate a comprehensive conclusion. One key dispute in composition studies is whether students who write compositions as critical thinking assignmenfts actually become better critical writers and thinkers. Proponents argue that this method establishes better writing and thinking skills among college and university students, while critics argue that since these skills do not necessarily transfer to other courses and/or disciplines, FYC should either be abolished or largely revised. This thesis suggests that the benefits of FYC clearly outweigh the problems many have cited and that key mitigation measures can be used to improve FYC courses. </p>