The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the impact of a Title I Comprehensive Plan on factors that affect the learning and the success of a Title I school, such as administrative support, student discipline, parental engagement, professional development, class size, and attendance. Annual District Parent and Teacher Surveys, INow attendance reports, INOW discipline reports, ACT Aspire Testing data, and Ident-A-Kit school signature documents were analyzed and observations were made in order to acquire information concerning the success of the Title One Comprehensive Plan in a Title I school. This type of research involves emerging questions and procedures, data analysis inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the researcher interpreting the data (Creswell, 2008). The results of this study aims to influence and assist school leaders and teachers’ efforts to promote students’ academic success within Title I environments. The findings from this research will provide teachers, students and educational leaders with an opportunity for understanding how students in Title I identified school succeed. One elementary school in the eastern region of the United States was used in the study. This school is pre-kindergarten through fifth school that has been a Title I for several years. The school serves over 750 students. The time frame for this research project was two months. The findings of this study add supporting evidence to the influence of the independent variables. The results of this study show that the researcher identified four dominant themes that appeared during the study. Professional development, student attendance, class size, and high expectation on student achievement were the common themes that support the importance of the independent variables on factors that have an impact on the success of the Title I Comprehensive Plan on a Title I school.

Principals of Title I schools have a responsibility to ensure that all students achieve so that they may graduate on time and are career and college ready (Virginia Department of Education [VDOE], 2022b). This research focused on the principals' instructional leadership practices in elementary and middle Title I schools impacting student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify principal instructional leadership practices and their perceived impact on student achievement in elementary and middle Title I schools within a school division in Virginia. The research question was, what are the principal instructional leadership practices and their perceived impact on student achievement in elementary and middle Title I schools within a school division in Virginia as reported by principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and teachers? A demographic survey of eight teachers was completed, and one-on-one interviews were conducted with two principals, one assistant principal, and two instructional coaches, and focus interviews held with eight teachers. Data on instructional leadership practices and the perceived impact on student achievement in Title I schools in one school division in Virginia were analyzed. Deductive coding was used for this purpose to determine common themes from the data. Eight major findings were discovered including seven principal instructional leadership practices and the most impactful principal instructional leadership practices. Six of the findings pertain to elementary and middle Title I schools, and two of the findings were specific to elementary Title I schools. The research could provide current and future practitioners in elementary and middle Title I schools and school divisions with principal instructional leadership practices to help improve overall student achievement and close achievement gaps amongst student groups. Practitioners can utilize the study to assist with the professional development (PD) of Title I school principals and for developing principal preparation programs. Researchers might use the study for literature research-based strategies on instructional leadership practices and the perceived impact on student achievement in Title I schools. Whether students are learning face-to-face, blended, or virtual, these practices can be utilized by leaders of Title I schools to ensure that students achieve. / Doctor of Education / Principals of Title I schools have a responsibility to ensure that all students achieve so that they may graduate on time and are career and college ready. This research focused on the principals' instructional leadership practices impacting student achievement in elementary and middle Title I schools. The research question was, what are the principal instructional leadership practices and their perceived impact on student achievement in elementary and middle Title I schools within a school division in Virginia as reported by principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, and teachers? A demographic survey of eight teachers was completed, and one-on-one interviews were conducted with two principals, one assistant principal, and two instructional coaches, and focus interviews held with eight teachers. The research might benefit current and future practitioners in elementary and middle Title I schools and school divisions by providing principal instructional leadership practices to help improve overall student achievement and close achievement gaps amongst student groups. Practitioners can utilize the study to help with PD of principals or for developing principal preparation programs. This study might provide researchers with literature research-based strategies on instructional leadership practices and the perceived impact on student achievement in Title I schools.

Poverty is a social context that has direct impact on students' performance since the conditions associated with poverty (brain development, social interactions, nutrition, and emotional environment) all play a role in developmental outcomes. Head Start is an early intervention program designed to address the unique needs of students from poverty. The Head Start Impact Study (DHHS, ACF, 2012) and other research (Lee, Brooks-Gunn, and Schnur, 1988; Ramey and Ramey, 2004) indicate that the academic achievement of low-income students who participated in Head Start is mixed as they move through elementary school. The purpose of the Head Start program is to prepare students with skills so that they begin kindergarten on an even playing field with their more advantaged peers (DHHS, ACF, 2013). Although students who participate in Head Start begin kindergarten with the appropriate readiness skills, initial gains are not maintained as they move through elementary school (Burkham and Lee, 2002). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effects of the Head Start program as its students move through kindergarten and first grade. In the study, I analyzed data to find relationships between student performance on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) (University of Virginia, 2010) and classroom practices that led to high achievement. Two Title I schools were studied. PALS scores were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVAs and multiple regressions. Reading performance in second grade was measured using scores from the Developmental Reading Assessment (Beave, 2006). Qualitative data were collected through interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. These data were utilized to make connections between the results of PALS and reading scores and the best practices being used in schools that showed strong results for the kindergarten and first grade students in the study. By triangulating data, I uncovered relationships between best practice strategies being used in high performing schools and achievement of former Head Start enrollees. / Ed. D. / In the United States, it is often the case that populations who are non-white, low-income, nonEnglish speaking, disabled, or elderly are disproportionately burdened by our transportation systems. These populations are more likely to be displaced by highways, exposed to transportationrelated air, noise, water, or land pollution, denied high-quality public transportation, suffer a drop in land values due to transportation infrastructure, and a number of other factors. These issues are called “environmental justice” or “EJ” issues. The reasons behind these trends are complicated, deeply rooted in our history and development patterns, and out of the scope of this thesis. This thesis instead focuses on the <i>measurement</i> of these disproportionate burdens and benefits. It is a federal requirement for transportation planners to consider environmental justice, but there is little guidance on how exactly to do this. Without this guidance, planners resort to ineffective assessments or mere “checking of boxes.” Many academic theorists have created models to measure individual effects such as air quality or water quality, but few have combined those models to create an easy-to-use “toolkit” for planners to use in assessing a full range of environmental justice effects. This thesis presents EEJAT 2016, an environmental justice assessment toolkit designed for Roanoke, VA, that attempts to meet the needs of EJ populations, transportation planners, and state and federal enforcement agencies. This toolkit was created based on a literature review of environmental justice theories and models, federal and state requirements, and decision theory, analysis of former Roanoke EJ assessments, GIS and statistical analyses of the Roanoke area, and engagement of EJ advocates and stakeholders. The toolkit includes GIS maps of EJ populations, a Community Profile, a flowchart that guides planners to the “tools” to use to assess the specific project at hand for EJ benefits and burdens, prompts for engagement of EJ populations, and checks on bias to help the planners understand their own biases in assessing EJ.Conditions associated with poverty (brain development, social interactions, nutrition, and emotional development) all play a role in a child’s developmental outcomes. Head Start is an early intervention program that addresses the unique needs of children from poverty. The purpose of the Head Start program is to prepare students with skills so that they begin kindergarten on an even playing field with their more advantaged peers (DHHS, ACF 2013). Although students who participate in Head Start begin kindergarten with the appropriate readiness skills, initial gains are not maintained as they move through elementary school (Burkham & Lee, 2002). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effects of Head Start programs as its students move through kindergarten and first grade. In the study, I analyzed data to find relationships between student performance on the <i>Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening</i> (PALS) and classroom practices that led to high achievement. Reading performance at second grade was assessed using the <i>Developmental Reading Assessment</i>. Interviews and focus groups with principals, reading teachers, and teams of teachers from kindergarten and first grade at two Title I schools provided qualitative data regarding school practices. Results indicated that Head Start students begin kindergarten with strong early literacy skills but performance in early elementary school decreases over time. Further research is needed to determine effective practices for educators to address the needs of low-income students to ensure these students maintain the initial gains seen when they enter kindergarten.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program continues to expand annually with increased numbers of high school students nationwide enrolling in AP courses and taking end-of-course AP exams, in hopes of earning college credit and strengthening high school transcripts. As the College Board promotes increased minority student participation (specifically African-American and Hispanic students) in AP courses, AP teachers face new challenges as potential first-generation college students enter their classrooms with below-level reading scores and a lack of essential critical-thinking skills needed for college-level assessment. The participants in this study are five AP U.S. History Teachers from urban, suburban, and rural Title I high schools. In this inquiry, I explore how their backgrounds and experiences shape their approaches to curriculum and pedagogy in their respective environments. I conducted two separate interviews with each teacher: the first addressed their formative years and educational experiences, while the second focused on their teaching philosophies and how they deliver course content. The data revealed similar instructional practices among the participants, all of whom choose student-centered teaching models to varying degrees to enhance student engagement. This discourse highlights the need for further inquiry into the perspectives of AP teachers in Title I schools to inform future policymaking decisions within schools and school districts to enhance historically marginalized student populations’ college and career opportunities.

The purpose of the study was to identify instructional leadership practices elementary principals in Blue Ribbon awarded public elementary schools in Virginia implemented to influence the instructional program. A mixed methods research design was used to collect and analyze data. Principals at eleven of the sixteen public elementary schools in Virginia who received the Blue Ribbon Award between the years 2013-2015 were interviewed. An interview protocol consisting of eleven questions was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. From the data collected during the interview process, a list of fifty instructional leadership activities was developed by the researcher. The list of fifty activities principals performed were grouped into the following categories; teacher observation practices, providing feedback to teachers, collaborating with teachers to analyze data, implementing professional development, and promoting a positive learning environment. / Ed. D. / The purpose of the study was to identify instructional leadership practices elementary principals in Blue Ribbon awarded public elementary schools in Virginia implemented to influence the instructional program. Principals at eleven of the sixteen public elementary schools in Virginia who received the Blue Ribbon Award between the years 2013-2015 were interviewed. From the interviews conducted, the researcher has provided a template of fifty instructional leadership activities that principals can implement that may have an impact on student performance. The list is categorized into the following sections; teacher observation practices, providing feedback to teachers, collaborating with teachers to analyze data, implementing professional development, and promoting a positive learning environment.

The goal of Title I is to provide extra instructional services and activities that support students identified as failing or most at risk of failing the state’s challenging performance standards in mathematics, reading, and writing. Low-income schools or Title I schools are the primary target of Title I funds. A school is eligible for Title I status when 40% of the school’s students are from low income families; these students are identified by their eligibility to receive free and reduced priced meals. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in elementary schools’ TVAAS Composite scores between Title I and Non-Title I schools. Specifically, this researcher examined the relationship of Title I funding with student academic growth at the elementary level. The schools were located in rural Tennessee. Data were gathered from the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 Tennessee State Report Cards and the TNDOE to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the 2 types of schools. Research indicated mixed reviews on the impact Title I funds have on lower socioeconomic schools. The researcher performed 5 paired t test and 8 Pearson correlation coefficients. There was a significant difference in the schools’ composite scores between Title I and Non-Title I elementary schools in Tennessee. Non-Title I elementary schools in Tennessee had higher composite scores than those of the Title I elementary schools. Results from the Pearson correlations indicated no significant relationships for mean years of teaching experience with school composite scores.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors contributing to the longevity of four early-career (5 to 10 years of experience) K–5 elementary general music teachers in Title I schools situated in four regions of the United States. The central research question was: How did early-career elementary general music teachers in Title I schools describe the opportunities and challenges that contributed to their decisions to continue teaching? Using Deci and Ryan's theory of self-determination as a theoretical framework, I analyzed how the four teachers reflected on the degree to which they each possessed autonomy, competence, and relatedness through recounting their perspectives, stories, and experiences. Although the participants shared many commonalities, they also experienced challenges and opportunities unique to their teaching environments. Results were mixed regarding their levels of autonomy and relatedness, but all four teachers possessed a high level of competence, which was likely a contributing factor to their longevity and potential to continue teaching. Nurture and care for children also emerged as a prominent theme from the results, which required the application of a separate theoretical framework. Noddings's theory of the ethic of care served as a lens for examining the myriad ways each participant demonstrated love, care, and concern for her students. All four teachers strongly expressed the important role their love of working with children and seeing them grow, progress, and learn played in their desire to continue teaching. Of all the contributing factors, the participants' ethic of care seemed to be the most significant influence on their decisions to continue teaching. They also spoke extensively about the role of their love for music as a subject. Conclusions address implications for the field and recommendations for future research.

This study investigated the impact of the years of teaching experience of classroom teachers on the achievement of third-grade students in inner-city Title I Schools; on the achievement of those third-grade students who were defined as high achievers, average achievers, and low achievers; and on the achievement of boys and girls in the third grade of inner-city Title I schools. An analysis and interpretation of the data revealed that there were no significant differences in reading and mathematics achievement of the third-grade students when the number of years of experience of the teacher was examined. Reading achievement of third-grade boys and third-grade girls did show significant differences. The more-experienced teacher appeared to have the greater increase in reading scores of the students. In addition to data concerning the hypotheses, information about other teacher variables was collected through a teacher self-report questionnaire. One hundred per cent of the teachers in the participating schools responded to the questionnaire. Data were tabulated by frequency of response in groups according to years of teacher experience. Variables included years of teaching experience in Title I schools, classroom size, and demographic data. Analysis of the data indicated that teachers having more years of experience in Title I schools appeared to have a greater increase in the reading and mathematics scores of students. Students in larger classes appeared to show greater gains than students in smaller classes in reading and mathematics. The majority of the teachers indicated that they felt the teacher, parent involvement, and class size had the most impact on achievement of students and staff development had the least impact.