The purpose of this study is to determine the level of Machiavellian attitudes acknowledged by secondary school principals as measured by the Mach V Attitude Inventory Scale. The data were collected from an ex post facto survey of 169 public and nonpublic secondary school principals, grades 9-12. Principals completed the Mach V scale and a 13-item demographic survey. Sixteen research questions were formulated to examine the relationship among the variables which produced seventeen null hypotheses. Of the seventeen null hypotheses, four were found to be significant and thirteen were nonsignificant. A review of the descriptive data indicated that the majority of Tennessee secondary school principals acknowledge low-Machiavellian attitudes. In addition, the data indicated that the gender of the principals reflected a significant difference in Machiavellian attitude. Significant differences were found in the subgroups of views, morality, and tactics based on their total Machiavellian score. The descriptive data were generated by using a frequency distribution, t-tests for independent means, and one-way analysis of variance. The following conclusions of the study are offered: (1) Principals acknowledge that they possess low-Machiavellian attitudes. (2) The findings of this study are parallel with those of Christie and Geis who found that educators tend to be low-Machiavellian. (3) Female principals are more Machiavellian than male principals. (4) leadership at exemplary secondary schools is not provided by high-Machiavellian principals. (5) On the basis of the demographic information, a typical secondary school principal is defined as follows: a male Caucasian who has served 1 to 7 years as a public school principal and has 24 to 31 years of educational experience and who is satisfied with his position, serves an appointed superintendent, and desires to remain in his position as principal. (6) Based on the high rate of return and the even distribution of responses from the three areas of East, Middle, and West Tennessee, the results of the survey are descriptive of all secondary school principals. In addition, the even distribution and rate of return indicate that principals are interested in responding to research studies involving leadership attitudes. (7) Low-Machiavellian principals are serving superintendents who were appointed. (8) The subscores of views, morality, and tactics reflect a level of Machiavellian attitudes similar to the total Machiavellian scores of Tennessee secondary school principals, indicating that the Mach V Attitude Inventory Scale is a valid instrument for measuring Machiavellian attitudes.

A descriptive study was conducted to identify teachers' and principals' perceptions of school climate in four stages of a change to block scheduling: Initiation, the first year of Implementation, the second year of Implementation, and the third year of Implementation or Institutionalization. Data were collected from 442 teachers and principals in nine high schools in the First Tennessee Regional District in a stratified purposeful random sample using the Organizational Health Index (OHI), a 44-item survey, and a demographic information sheet. The survey has seven dimensions: Institutional Integrity, Initiating Structure, Consideration, Principal Influence, Resource Support, Morale, and Academic Support. These dimensions and the Total Climate scores were analyzed in the four stages of the change process. Demographic variables included gender, job title, age, level of education, years of experience, and subject assignment. The data were analyzed with a t-test or an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine significant differences between and within groups, and a post-hoc test determined specific significant groups. There were no significant differences found in Total Climate scores or the Consideration dimension. There were also no significant differences in perceptions based on gender or education. There were significant differences found in all other dimensions and demographic variables. Block scheduling was found to have no effect to some positive effect on student learning and the way teachers teach. Block scheduling was not found to negatively affect school climate, and there is a need for continual professional development at each stage of the change process to address concerns revealed in this study.

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the staff development needs of high school classroom teachers implementing block scheduled programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers' perceptions of staff development needs differed when teaching experience, education (highest degree earned), and Tennessee Career Ladder status were considered. Four levels of each independent variable were analyzed by six categories of perceptions, the dependent variables. The categories were: (a) Planning, (b) Knowledge, (c) Satisfaction with staff development, (d) Adult learning strategies, (e) Level of involvement, and (f) Impact on student testing and grades. The 181 classroom teachers from eight Northeast Tennessee county school systems were surveyed using an instrument containing 50 response items. The return rate was 79% (N = 143). Three research questions were answered by analyzing three null hypotheses using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey multiple comparison tests. The alpha level was.05. The null hypothesis for all levels of teaching experience was retained. For all education or degree levels, the null hypothesis was retained except for the Educational Specialist group in the planning category and the Bachelor's group in the knowledge category. The null hypothesis for Tennessee Career Ladder status was retained except for the Level III group in the knowledge category. Beyond the analyses of hypotheses, other survey results indicated that policy makers must involve teachers in decisions about block scheduling implementation and staff development through inclusive, school-based planning committees. Teacher comments implied that periodic needs assessments, teacher support, program evaluation, and assessment of student learning are critical to block scheduling.

This study examines teacher practices and student learning as perceived by teachers within public high schools that have implemented block scheduling. Comparisons are made between the possibilities advanced by block scheduling advocates and the actual results as interpreted from the data gathered. Comparisons are made between teaching and learning with the traditional schedule and the manner in which it takes place with block scheduling. Open-ended questionnaires were developed for use with voluntary participants who had worked with traditional scheduling and now taught with some form of block scheduling. Participants recorded observations based solely upon personal perceptions of experiences with students while teaching in both scheduling designs. Special demographic data were provided by each participant, numerically recorded, and analyzed for statistical differences. This study reports on the generalized trends of the data reported to this researcher. Data revealed that teachers have not adopted new teaching strategies, perceive that they are teaching less, and only the higher achievers benefit from the scheduling innovation. Students do not learn more with a longer class period. Block scheduling produced some unanticipated consequences such as teachers competing for students, reduced club participation, and principals gaining the ability to assign teachers a greater percentage of their preparations away from their major area of study. The importance of this study lies with the revealed effects of block scheduling not found in any other literature. The research effort gives voice to those persons who actually implemented the scheduling innovation. By using these first person accounts, this study discusses questions surrounding the block scheduling controversy that are not presented in current literature and sheds new light on those that are.

The purpose of this study was to identify the processes that have been used for implementing the alternative scheduling plan of block scheduling in high schools. The study attempted to discover what professional development activities were used for the change, if teachers altered instruction, and what additional staff development was needed. The qualitative method of case study research was selected for the study. The investigator chose five public high schools, representing city and county systems and different professional development budgets and types of instructional support. Central office administrators who were responsible for the implementation of block scheduling, principals, and a purposeful sample of teachers were interviewed. Utilizing interview transcripts, field notes, and records, case studies were formulated for each school. A cross-site analysis was also developed. This aspect of the study focused on several themes that emerged from the case studies. These themes included reasons for the scheduling change; implementation procedures; professional development strategies; effects on instruction, students, and schools; and procedural and staff development needs. The conclusions of the study were as follows: a concern for students prompted the change; considerable effort was devoted to implementation; the 4 x 4 semester plan was the most common configuration; a considerable difference existed in the amounts schools spent for professional development; and staff development was integral to implementation. Additional conclusions were that block scheduling had both positive and negative effects on instruction; some teachers altered instruction with the schedule; the majority of students preferred a block schedule instead of a traditional one; the plan had a positive impact on the discipline, course offerings, and learning atmosphere of a school; and changes in implementation and professional growth would enhance the innovation. These conclusions will assist educators in developing and implementing procedural strategies and professional development plans for block scheduling, as well as other reform efforts.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the reading intervention program Making Connections Intervention (MCI) and pre-intervention and post- intervention Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) reading scaled scores in one East Tennessee school district. Participants included 99 Tennessee students in grade levels six through nine who received reading intervention instruction through MCI and were frequently monitored following the requirements stipulated in the Tennessee Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) Framework. This study assessed pre- and post-intervention data specific to gender, special education classification, Title I classification, and instructor classification through a series of t-tests. Findings indicated that although there were no significant differences in TCAP reading scaled scores for the grouping variables of gender, Title I classification, special education classification, and instructor classification, students’ TCAP reading scaled scores were significantly higher after participating in Making Connections Intervention.

At the high school level teachers are often departmentalized by their content area and do not teach subjects outside of their specialties. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) introduced literacy standards across the curriculum requiring reading and writing instruction in all courses. The adoption not only affected traditional literacy teachers but also science, math, social studies, and career and technical education teachers who may have had little or no training or experience in teaching literacy to adolescents. These teachers, because of little training or experience in teaching literacy, may feel unprepared for the CCSS literacy shifts or inadequate in delivering literacy instruction. This study was designed to explore teacher perceived self-efficacy after the implementation of new literacy standards in Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to evaluate high school teachers’ perceptions with regard to self-efficacy and literacy instruction across the curriculum. Data were collected through online, voluntary surveys using Likert scaling and one open-ended response question. The sample included Tennessee high school teachers from 3 counties in Tennessee First Core Region 1 high schools who had taught math, science, social studies, career and technical education, or ELA. This study found no significant difference based on self-efficacy and content area, level of teaching experience, or gender. There was also no significant difference based on literacy efficacy and level of teaching experience or gender. There was a significant difference based on literacy efficacy and content area. ELA teachers were more significantly confident in teaching literacy than nonELA teachers.

The incorporation of the arts as an academic subject in the high school distance education delivery method is being reinvented as something new. Most of the current research is focused on college courses. Online high school curricula are most often placed in research studies as an afterthought. Perceptions of faculty members from high schools with traditional instructional delivery models as well as public online schools concerning online education as it relates to the arts in 5 different areas was the focus of this research; mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Examining the perceptions of teachers gives a blueprint for future learning regarding course design to meet the unique online delivery method. Further, it reveals ways that curricula from areas of the curriculum traditionally perceived as difficult to teach in an online setting can be structured. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the perceptions of high school faculty members of online instruction of visual arts compared to traditional face-to-face instruction regarding visual arts mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum. Data collection techniques included the use of a survey with a 6-point Likert-type scale and collection of demographic information. Data were analyzed through a nonexperimental quantitative methodology further explained through 5 dimensions (mentor, delivery method, satisfaction, student learning, and curriculum). In faculty members age differences, gender, years of teaching, and subject area taught were investigated to see if there were any significant differences. The population included faculty members of online and traditional high schools in the southeastern United States. The following states were chosen for the study; Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There were 490 participants in the online survey. This study revealed that there is statistical significance difference in several age groups and years worked in the delivery dimension. There is also statistical significance difference in the satisfaction and curriculum dimensions in the academic discipline grouping for fine arts. Curriculum dimension was also found to be significant in the online delivery method. The dimension of student learning was statistically significant in age groups. Findings also revealed that there was significance found in the mentor dimension in the delivery method of the traditional group. There was no significance difference found in gender with any of the dimensions.

High dropout rates for minority students require additional educational research to understand and implement changes that will increase graduation rates. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine factors that may be associated with graduation for Latino male students. Guided by Tinto's work, which holds that students remain in school when they feel academically or socially connected to an institution, this study addressed the impact of social factors, academic factors, and small learning communities (SLCs) on graduation rates. The research study used archival data and bivariate logistic regression to analyze the data for Latino male participants (n = 208) at an urban southern California high school. Results indicated that grade-point average (GPA), the number of suspensions, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) may be significant factors associated with graduation rates of the Latino male students. Implications for social change include an increase in support for programs such as AVID, a greater number of tutoring and mentoring programs to help students increase their GPA, and school policies that address discipline without increasing the number of suspensions. Students benefit most from obtaining a high school diploma. Graduation can assist students to have more opportunities in their own lives. Increasing student-graduation rates increases self-reliance and the ability for students to contribute to their own communities.

Ninth grade students are at a greater risk of dropping out of high school than are other grade-level populations. Factors such as a lack of academic preparedness, social and developmental changes, and the decline of parental support often result in 9th grade students falling behind in their academic work. Using holistic education as the conceptual framework, the goal of this intrinsic case study was to explore the perceptions of school and district office administrators on the impact that a 9th grade transition program has on the 9th grade retention and dropout rate of a high school located in the southeastern United States. The features of the 9th grade transition program (designated personnel, classes, location, and resources) were analyzed. Data collection occurred by a review of the school's evaluation reports and one-on-one interviews using a purposeful sample with 4 school and district office administrators. Thematic analysis of data followed an open coding process to identify categories and themes. The findings indicated that the 9th grade transition program positively impacted student and school performance and revealed inconsistencies in the transition programs and services among the 3 high schools within the school district. The resulting project was a policy recommendation that advocates for the use of standard 9th grade best practices. This study contributes to positive social change through the implementation of a best practice policy recommendation, intended to reduce 9the grade retention and dropout rates of the students within the school district.