Compared to their peers, gifted and talented (GT) students have unique social and emotional needs. As schools mandated social and emotional learning goals for each GT student, support at the state level was limited. The purpose of the study was to answer the guiding question of how students could benefit from implementing key elements in a GT social and emotional curriculum. The study was guided by Corso's approach to promoting and developing positive social-emotional behavior. Data were collected from questionnaires administered to 32 statewide GT experts. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 of those GT experts. Thematic data analysis followed an open coding process to identify emergent themes. The findings revealed key elements that should be in place for a successful GT social and emotional curriculum: (a) a dedicated time in the school schedule for affective curriculum, (b) GT students seeking an understanding of identity and GT characteristics, (c) creating partnerships for social and emotional curriculum, (d) properly trained staff, including an understanding of the characteristics of GT students, (e) affective goal setting, (f) adequate resources for instruction, and (g) a process for intensive interventions when needed. This study included the creation of a professional development project to support integration of a social and emotional curriculum for GT programs. The study and project have implications for positive social change: By guiding schools seeking to implement a social and emotional curriculum into a current GT program, student behavior and learning outcomes are fostered.

As a result of the increased number of schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP), school districts are searching for innovative ways to raise student achievement and meet the rigorous performance standards set by state governments. Using the theoretical framework provided by brain research and the theory of multiple intelligences, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare 2 middle school classroom structures for differences in mathematics achievement among students. The study examined whether a significant difference existed in mathematics achievement scores on the state-mandated mathematics test for 2 groups (single gender classes versus coeducational classes) in 6 middle schools during a 3-year period. Mean scores from the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) performance statistics in mathematics were used to determine achievement levels of single-gender and coeducational instruction. Study results indicated a statistically significant difference in academic performance for students in single-gender mathematics classes compared with academic performance for students in coeducational mathematics classes. Further, girls outperformed boys. These findings led to a project consisting of implementing a professional learning community and a series of professional development sessions for Algebra I teachers. The results of this study may contribute to social change by identifying an academic program structure in which all students can be supported academically while providing teachers with ongoing opportunities to collaborate and build their capacities with the goal of improving student performance.

Students in a local rural northeastern high school have demonstrated decreasing academic performance in social studies courses for the past 5 years. The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study of the local social studies department was to investigate how social studies teachers and administrators for grades 7-12 describe differentiated instruction (DI) and professional development in DI. This study was grounded in the zone of proximal development, which stressed the importance of providing instruction at students' instructional levels, and DI, which emphasized tailoring instruction to address students' needs. Three research questions focused on how social studies teachers and administrators viewed teachers' use of DI and described the professional development training for DI. Open ended interviews of 3 administrators and 9 secondary social studies teachers in the local school who volunteered to participate , observations of the teacher interviewees' classroom lessons, and reviews of documents related to instructional materials or professional development provided the data for the bounded case. The data were analyzed in an explanation building technique which flowed from the research questions. The findings indicated that the participants had positive perceptions of DI, the social studies teachers used DI strategies with struggling students and wanted effective professional development training and resources for using DI, and instructors wanted more administrative support. The results of this study may impact social change in the local school by providing effective DI techniques to use with struggling students. Professional development training in effective DI techniques may promote collaboration among the faculty and improve student performance in social studies.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary principals' self-perceived responsibilities and competencies in the area of instructional supervision, and thereby establish a baseline of knowledge for future decisions regarding the use of instructional supervision by principals as an aid to more effective teaching and learning. Procedure. A three-page questionnaire based on a list of supervision tasks (Harris, 1973) and guided by the literature on effective schools, instructional leadership, and instructional supervision was developed. The items were designed to assess responsibility for and competency in the area of instructional supervision. The questionnaire was sent to 619 randomly-sampled secondary principal-members of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The responses to the five research questions were based on appropriate statistical procedures, including unpaired t-tests, chi square, factor analysis, and multiple regression. Findings. Forty-nine percent of the questionnaires were returned. Respondents were predominantly male from large, rural, public schools. Principals rated themselves significantly higher on the competency section of the questionnaire than on the responsibility section. There was little difference in the selection of the highest-ranking tasks for which principals perceived themselves to be responsible and the selection of highest-ranking tasks for which principals perceived themselves to be competent. Several variables influenced principals' self-perceptions about responsibility and competency in instructional supervision. On the competency section of the questionnaire, predictor variables were: (a) principal experience, (b) department head experience, (c) teaching experience, (d) central office experience, (e) curriculum supervision experience, (f) preparation to supervise, (g) school type, (h) number of teachers, (i) degree, and (j) gender. On the responsibility section of the questionnaire, predictor variables were: (a) teaching experience, (b) department head experience, (c) preparation to supervise, (d) school type, (e) number of teachers, and (f) degree. The most frequent influence variables were school type, and preparation to supervise. Public school principals rated themselves higher than private school principals and participation in workshops appeared to be the best determinant of responsibility and competency in the area of instructional supervision. Recommendations. Universities and colleges, in cooperation with school districts, should examine their administrator training programs to provide for the growing need to educate principals in the area of instructional supervision. For in-service principals, a workshop approach is highly recommended. In order to provide time to supervise instruction effectively, principals should be given more assistance in some of the bureaucracy, discipline, and "administrivia" they experience daily. Principals should become more involved in curriculum decisions and gain support from the teachers in the supervision process.

No description available.

abstract: ABSTRACT Controversies surrounding multilingual language programs, disparities on educational achievement measures, and tracking represent some of the conflicts concerning race that continue to take place in school districts around the country. These debates are especially significant today as schools experience shifts in demographics. Racial and ethnic minorities now account for at least one-third of the nation's population (United States Census Bureau, 2010), and schools are more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). The continued importance of race in education serves as the impetus behind this dissertation's inquiries into race and language in the high school English classroom. This study explores how one group of students, attending a predominately White high school with growing racial and ethnic diversity, write and talk about race in the English classroom. I examine how explicitly or implicitly students engaged in everyday language, school talk, and school writing about racial and ethnic identity, as well as how students responded to an English language arts curriculum devoted to issues of race and equity. On a broader scale, this study seeks to understand the school, community, and larger social context of racial and ethnic division and unity, particularly the role language and literacy pedagogies can play in addressing these issues. Blending two qualitative methodologies, including ethnography and the design and implementation of a race-conscious English curriculum, I spent eight months in one high school classroom, resulting in an analysis of a series of field notes, student writing, and in-depth participant interview transcripts. Findings from this study may help complicate researchers' and teachers' notions of how racial and ethnic identity operates in classrooms with shifting demographics. This study also highlights the importance of bringing race-conscious literacy activities to the forefront of English classrooms where structured discussions and carefully crafted writing prompts can facilitate discourse on race that might otherwise be muted in the context of traditional English language arts curriculum. Finally, this dissertation calls for a greater focus on collaborative research and teaching teams comprised of classroom teachers and university researchers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2012

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine if students scored significantly higher on the ACT after taking precalculus than they had scored on the ACT prior to taking precalculus. The researcher investigated whether there is an increase, not only in ACT composite scores, but also in ACT math subtest scores after high school students completed a precalculus course. The researcher also investigated differences regarding gender, socio-economic status, and race. Five Tennessee high schools from four counties and five different districts were used in this study. The study involved 208 participants and covered a span of three years. The findings indicated a significant difference in mean ACT composite and mathematics subtest scores for students after completing precalculus. The data were also compared by gender, race, and socioeconomic status for students who completed precalculus. The data indicated a significant difference in ACT composite scores for students completing a precalculus course regardless of gender or socioeconomic status.

This qualitative study addresses secondary educator perceptions of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and student academic achievement. PBIS is a proactive approach with a multitiered framework. When used properly, PBIS can be a tool for school faculty to establish behavioral expectations and procedures, prevent disruptive behavior, and improve the school climate and culture. This phenomenological study was conducted using two secondary schools in West Virginia. Participants were identified and chosen through purposive sampling techniques according to their years of experience teaching and utilizing PBIS interventions. The data for this study included unstructured, open-ended interviews based on three research questions. The questions addressed secondary educator and administrator perceptions of PBIS and high school student achievement, interventions associated with student achievement, and how the program could be adapted to provide increased student academic support. Interviews were transcribed and data were organized by topics and themes coded into various categories. Triangulation, member checks, and rich descriptions supported the credibility of the analysis. The results revealed that five categories emerged, which included: (1) PBIS influences student work ethic, (2) positive reinforcement of high expectations, (3) Student Assistance Team, (4) Advisory, and (5) consistency.

No description available.