Professional learning communities (PLC) have the potential to strengthen students' academic achievement. An academic pyramid of interventions, one aspect of PLCs, may be especially helpful in schools where subgroups of students are underperforming relative to other students on standardized testing. This quantitative, one-group, pretest-posttest study examined the impact of implementing an academic pyramid of interventions as part of a PLC on middle school student academic achievement. The 100 students from grade 7 and 8 who participated in the study were identified by teachers as being at-risk for success on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). The reading and math test scores from the CRCT were extracted for data analysis. The researcher used a repeated-measures t test to compare the mean pretest and posttest scores. Bivariate correlations were conducted to determine the relationship between math and reading scores at grades 7 and 8. Results indicated that reading scores significantly increased across time (p < .001). Math scores also increased but the difference was not statistically significant. All correlations were significant (p<.05). Overall, the results indicated that implementing a PLC improved the standardized test scores of at risk students. These results have potential implications for social change in that all students will be better prepared for success throughout their academic career. These implications also suggest that when teachers work collaboratively within a PLC they will better meet the academic needs of all subgroups of students, especially those identified as at risk.

Minority students lag Caucasian students in science performance and are underrepresented in the fields of science and technology. It is therefore pivotal for minorities, African American and Hispanic students, to show improved performance in science education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of cooperative learning strategy on physics achievement by high school minority students. Constructivism formed the theoretical framework for the study. Independent learning, the traditional strategy, and cooperative learning dyads, the novel intervention, were the independent variables, and the dependent variable was achievement in physics. A repeated measures design and a convenient sample group of students were used in this study. Difference of scores obtained from the performances of the group as independent and cooperative learners was subjected to a repeated measures t test. A significant relationship between cooperative learning dyads and physics achievement by high school minority students was found. By learning in small groups, students were able to help each other construct meaning and make sense of their learning. Further study was recommended to foster cooperative learning strategy in minority classes and among science teachers of high schools with a majority of minorities. Social change is embedded in the study as increased achievement in science by minority students could possibly lead to advancement in science and technology careers for minorities and possibly close the gap that exists in science performance between minority and Caucasian students. This change could lead to a better social status for minorities.

Alternately certified teachers (ACTs) are teachers who receive teacher training in an accelerated program provided by alternate certification programs (ACPs). Induction/mentoring programs are provided to ACTs as a source of additional training. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers in relation to their students' achievement and the support provided to them as new teachers by their induction/mentoring training. The research question explored if there was a relationship between the amount of support provided to the ACTs from their induction/mentoring programs and the ACTs' perception of their effectiveness in relation to student achievement. The primary data sources consisted of journal data and semistructured interviews from 2 ACTs. Open, axial, and selective coding strategies were used as one component of the data analysis. Conventional content analysis was used to explore the perceptions of the 2 ACTs interviewed. Analysis revealed that ability to manage a classroom and the support provided by induction/mentoring programs may influence the ACTs' perceptions of effectiveness in terms of student achievement. Results also suggested that ACTs' induction/mentoring programs did not successfully facilitate a transition into the teaching profession. The results from this study can be used by mentoring/induction program directors, and school administrators to inform policy and curricular modifications to induction/mentoring programs that would optimize ACTs' perceptions of their effectiveness as teachers and student achievement. The use of these data may contribute to social change by providing the ACT with an improved support system during the ACTs' first year in the classroom.

Research confirms inactivity increases in adolescence and that unfit youth are at risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, or other significant physical disorders later in life. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of chronically inactive children who were exposed to an exercise intervention program. The specific focus of the research was to better understand the essential educational needs of the participants and the effective elements of the program, Moving for Fun (MFF), a 7-week after-school fitness intervention program designed to modify chronic inactivity. Open-ended interviews and 3 observations were conducted with 8 middle school students (4 males and 4 females) identified as scoring low on a standardized assessment protocol of health-related physical fitness. Interview data were transcribed and coded using a combination of open and a priori coding to extract significant statements that were analyzed into clusters of meaning that described key elements of the students' experience. Video-taped observations were analyzed to use behaviors during MFF activities as a means of checking interpretations of the interview data. Interpretation of the final structural analysis suggested that students did not have a good understanding health-related fitness or how it is achieved; however they enjoyed participating in inclusive physical activity, and were planning to add more physical activity to their lives. Recommendations include an examination of physical activity programming and an increase in programs that serve participants with varied needs. Developing more student-centered programs that teach or include fitness education can decrease the number of students lacking physical fitness and increase the population of those who carry fitness activities and better health with them into the future.

This study addressed the problem of low student achievement in elementary school mathematics and investigated the level of knowledge held by the teachers. Previous studies have shown that students who succeed in mathematics are more successful during their school years, including college, and earn a higher income level as adults. A theoretical framework of andragogy framed three research questions for investigation. The first question focused on the current professional development needs of the teachers. The other two questions investigated whether the mathematical knowledge relating to teaching (MKT) correlates with the socioeconomic level of the school or correlates with annual yearly progress (AYP) status. Randomly selected elementary teachers from 12 schools participated by completing a survey and taking an online assessment to determine their MKT level. There was no significant correlation between the teachers' MKT scores and the socioeconomic level of their school or the AYP status of the school. Results indicated the need for professional development in mathematical progressions and instructional techniques. Data also suggested that this professional development be adapted to meet the individual needs of the participating teachers. These data informed the creation of 45 professional development training modules for teachers. This study, with the recommended training modules, can initiate social change by providing teachers with individualized training and new instructional strategies to implement in their classrooms with their students, thereby promoting higher levels of student achievement in mathematics.

Research examining instruction in geometry and standardized tests suggests that students have difficulty grasping geometry concepts and developing problem solving skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the use of inquiry-based strategies in a geometry class and achievement on the end of course test (EOCT) and to analyze qualitatively the implementation of inquiry-based instruction. Embedded in the theoretical framework of constructivism, inquiry-based instruction gives students skills to become independent learners. Addressing an issue in mathematics education, the primary research question focused on how to improve scores on a standardized geometry test. This mixed methods study utilized the t test to analyze the EOCT scores of 2 groups of geometry students in a Title I school. The results indicated that students taught using inquiry-based instruction scored higher on the EOCT. Lesson plans, field notes, observation notes and other artifacts were analyzed using categorical aggregation. The results indicated that the predominant instructional strategy in the implementation process was guided inquiry and that formal instruction included models of the inquiry process. Social change will be impacted by pointing to instructional strategies that will help students develop positive attitudes to problem solving through inquiry and increased understanding of the mathematical content. The development of critical thinking skills in problem solving will contribute to success in high school, in college and in the workplace.

Institutions of higher learning have been tracking student course-drop rates as a measure of student success along with faculty performance data. However, there is a lack of understanding as to how faculty performance data influences drop rates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether faculty knowledge of performance data creates a difference in drop rates. This study combined theories of performance measurement, decision support, self-determination theory (SDT), and personal decision making (PDM) as a conceptual foundation that linked faculty knowledge to student success. The specific research question addressed if data can be used to assist faculty efforts in reducing student attrition. This experimental longitudinal study tested the effect of faculty knowledge of personal performance measures on student course-drop rates. A sample of 32 subjects from a major university were randomly selected and assigned to equivalent-groups that included an experimental group, which received performance feedback and instruction, and an uninformed control group. Paired sample t-tests indicated a significant 32.8% reduction in student attrition for faculty in the experimental group, compared to a 10.3% increase in attrition observed for the control group faculty. Results suggest that providing faculty access to performance data via a decision support system will result in a reduction of student course drop rates. The key social value for this study is to provide a blueprint in collecting, structuring, and disseminating data that assist faculty and institutions in addressing student persistence. Students who persist in their courses have a greater potential of completing their studies and thus gaining access to better paying careers, higher levels of self-esteem, and an overall improved quality of life.

The first part of this study sought to validate the System for Observing Dance Activities in the Classroom Environment (SODANCE) based off the System for Observing Fitness Instructional Time (SOFIT). Female students age 11-17 years (N=42) participated in an activity protocol of SOFIT activities and common dance activities to validate appropriate coding categories. Each student wore a heart rate monitor and accelerometer while participating in the activities lying, sitting, standing, walking, running, single leg balances, leg swings, pirouettes, and leaps. Heart rate, maximum heart rate percentage, heart rate reserve percentage, vertical axis accelerometer counts, and vector magnitude accelerometer counts for each activity were classified as light, moderate, or vigorous. Ultimately heart rate reserve data was determined to be the best indicator of physical activity. The chi squared test was used to determine if there were significant differences in the proportion of subjects whose heart rate reserve data classified the activity as light vs. moderate vs. vigorous. Based upon the heart rate reserve data, each activity was assigned a SODANCE activity code of 1-5. The dance activities were coded as single leg balances 4, leg swings 4, pirouettes 5, and leaps 5. The second part of this study aimed to use the SODANCE instrument to collect data about the physical activity levels, time spent in MVPA, time spent in different lesson contexts, and frequency of teacher promotion of activity. Four different secondary (grades 6-12) dance technique classes (ballet or contemporary) at a public performing arts school were each observed four times using the SODANCE instrument. Students engaged in MVPA 40.62% of the time. Percentages of time spent in SODANCE lesson contents are as follows: management 9.53% (n=280), knowledge 22.29% (n=655), fitness 6.94% (n=204), technique 44.04% (n=1294), choreography 17.19% (n=505), and other 0.0% (n=0). Percentages of teacher interaction are as follows: promotes in-class activity 27.67% (n=813), promotes out-of-class activity 0.27% (n=8), and no promotion 72.06% (n=2117). These data suggests that dance technique classes offer equitable or more MVPA than physical education classes, but still short of the national recommendations.

The purpose of this research study is to describe and analyze the self-reported experiences of exemplary high school mathematics teachers who underwent personal and professional transformations in order to develop and use a standards-based, constructivist (SBC) teaching paradigm in their classrooms. These teachers were all past recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), an award that required them to demonstrate that their mathematics instruction was rigorous in the manner described by the NCTM standards. The following research questions are addressed: (a) What are the paths SBC secondary mathematics teachers who received the PAEMST pursued to become highly effective?, (b) What obstacles and challenges did they encounter and how were these obstacles overcome?, and (c) What sustained them on their journeys? The research methodology used to be a narrative inquiry. Following a wide survey of PAEMST recipients, five volunteer participants were chosen for the study. Data were collected from each participant using a one-to-one interview and the written section of each participant's PAEMST application. A narrative was written for each participant describing the path they had followed to become a highly effective high school mathematics teacher. The narrative was sent to each participant, and a follow-up interview was conducted via telephone amending the narrative to reflect the participant's additions and deletions. From the five amended narratives, eight themes were identified: (a) influences; (b) education; (c) professional development; (d) NCTM standards; (e) teaching style: beginning, current, or end of a career; (f) obstacles; (g) personality traits and personal beliefs; and (h) student influence. Several of the themes were supported by previous research. However, this research study discovered two new findings. First, the five participants had common characteristics and beliefs: (a) belief in their students, (b) persistence, (c) belief that professional development is vital for teacher growth, and (d) passion about mathematics and about conveying that passion to their students. The second research finding pertained to the influence that their own students had on all of the five participants. All the participants purposely sought out their students' thoughts about the classroom curriculum and about the instruction they received. The teachers considered their students part of the classroom learning community, and they honored and acted on their input. Finally, in addition to describing the trajectory of five PAEMST winning teachers, this study offers recommendations for students studying to become high school mathematics teachers, teacher educators, and educational researchers. For these students, their teaching preparation courses need to be taught adhering to the four principles of learning: activity, reflection, collaboration and community. According to this research, the model of teacher preparation courses that emphasize the teaching of the above four principles using a traditional teacher-directed method does not prepare future mathematics teachers for the use of SBC teaching in their classrooms. Suggestions about further research are addressed.

Samples derived from a mailed questionnaire were compared. The sample represented high school, community college and university instructors of mathematics and English. The Kentucky public schools sampled were equally represented among high school, community colleges and universities. The research indicated that of those instructors sampled a very high percentage (97.7%) feel that those high school students shown to be academically gifted would benefit from a college experience before high school graduation. The attitudes of those instructors sampled indicated that multiple criteria – grades, recommendations, standardized test scores and personal interview – were considered the preferred method of selection (82.5%). The attitudes sampled suggested that the high school personnel were better suited to make these eligibility decisions (67.4%). The sampled attitudes concerning the setting of this experience suggest the community college was the preference over the university. By use of Chi-square tabulations, no significant difference between mathematics or English instructor’s attitudes was shown. Using this method of measurement significant attitude differences were shown depending on the group sampled. The attitudes of the three sampled groups did show variation depending upon the question involved. Issues such as eligibility of the students, location of experience, use of credit earned, choice of instructor, distance to the experience and responsibility for administrative costs were considered. The collected attitudes suggested that an academically gifted high school student would benefit from a college level experience before graduation and that there is a real need for change in our educational system to accommodate our most precious resource – the gifted student.