Thesis advisor: Dennis Shirley / The ability to express meaning in prose is a foundational skill in our society. Given the importance of being a competent writer, concern with the quality of writing instruction is a recurring theme among American educators (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010; National Commission on Writing, 2003, 2004, 2006). Research shows that teachers are unprepared to teach writing (Gilbert & Graham, 2010) and devote limited amounts of time to it (Cutler & Graham, 2008; Gilbert & Graham, 2010). In addition, national assessment data indicates that most students are not proficient writers (Salahu-Din, Persky & Miller, 2008). An embedded case study design (Yin, 2009), using mixed methodology (Greene & Caracelli, 2003a, 2003b; Hesse-Biber, 2010), was employed to determine whether a school-university partnership enacted systemic functional linguistics theory guided writing intervention changed fourth and fifth grade teachers' writing instruction over the course of three years in an urban elementary school. The study further investigated changes to 41 fourth and 27 fifth graders' writing performance during the third year of the invention. Examination of the relationship between students' performance in writing and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test in English language arts was conducted. The study also explored how teachers articulated their experiences with the partnership. Findings showed the content of teachers' instruction changed involving the use of metalanguage and the teaching of genre, language, and tenor. Similarly, instructional strategies evolved regarding negotiating field and deconstruction of text. Findings also indicated a significant improvement in writing performance for all students, and bilingual students had more growth over time than monolingual peers. Also, a moderate positive relationship existed between writing performance and MCAS performance, which suggests understanding of genre may support reading comprehension. Overall, teachers positively experienced the partnership and found value in the professional development. Implications of these study findings will benefit teacher education, administrators and policymakers, and allow for improved school-university partnerships. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Thesis advisor: Irwin Blumer / This study was conducted within a large urban high school in the northeastern United States. This school resides in a district that utilizes a standards-based system of teacher evaluation. The purpose of the study was to determine teachers' perspectives on the effectiveness of standards-based teacher evaluation systems as a means of improving instruction and student achievement. The question for research, <&ldquo>What are teacher perceptions of evaluation in an urban high school that uses a standards<&ndash>based evaluation system?<&rdquo> served as the framework for development and implementation of this study and for interpretation of the study findings. The body of related literature provided the theoretical rationale for the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Major sections of the literature review included: a historical perspective on performance standards and of teacher evaluation from the mid-nineteenth through the early twenty-first centuries; an examination of contemporary teacher evaluation systems; a review of recent theoretical and empirical research concerning best evaluation practices; and a review of the research regarding teachers' perceptions of supervision and evaluation. Data were gathered from thirty participants through a thirty-one question Likert<&ndash>based attitude scale. Key findings included teachers' perceptions that: they were not familiar with the teaching performance standards used in their district; they did not believe that their evaluations were rooted solely in the these standards; they believed their evaluation conferences with supervisors helped then to improve their practice; their evaluations were not tied to annual goals or individual and school professional development plans; supervisors did not use multiple sources of data as a part of teacher evaluation; supervisors do not spend enough time in classrooms to carry out expectations for effective evaluation; and that peer observation aided teachers in improving their practice. While current research asserts that standards-based teacher evaluation systems coupled with an array of activities that foster teacher ownership for the process can be used as a powerful vehicle for improving student achievement, study findings were inconclusive regarding any perceived association between standards<&ndash>based performance evaluation structures and practices and the improvement of student achievement. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration.

It is the purpose of this study to present some of the leading facts concerning the present status of the county superintendents of schools in Kentucky, and also to compare the status of the county superintendent with that of the city superintendent as found by R.E. Stevenson's study of 1934. The same method of procedure is used in this study as was used in the study of the city superintendents in order that a reliable and worth while comparison could be made between the two groups of educational leadrs.

The P.S.U. Educational Center is an attempt to facilitate the access of Portland's inner city residents to higher education. It is an attempt to overcome the bitterness, defeatism and mistrust that many of these people feel toward education. In its four year history the Center has grown rapidly. The number of people served by the Center per term has risen from 15 in 1969 to 1,300 in 1972. Course offerings have increased from 5 to nearly 30. The Center offers both college credit and other types of courses at nominal fees. An evaluation of the Center--based in part on a student survey conducted in January, 1972--indicates that while the Center has been 2 substantially effective in meeting its objectives it is also reaching a large number of people with advanced educational and occupational achievements than would normally be expected. But this is not an overwhelming trend. The Center is also reaching those of poverty backgrounds and limited education. Racially, the Center serves all ethnic groups. The actual count of students responding to an ethnic identification item on a questionnaire distributed during winter term, 1972 are: American Indian, 2, Oriental, 5, Negro/Black American, 146, Spanish Surnamed, 1, Caucasian, 87. The majority of those registering at the Center do so for the purpose of earning college credit. In conclusion this thesis makes recommendations for the additional funding of the Center, for changes in the policy of the State Board of Higher Education that would allow for the provision of salaried teaching personnel from the various departments within the University, for the commitment of such personnel to the Center, for larger and more adequate physical facilities for the Center, for the elimination of the G.E.D. program, for the stabilization of the fee arrangement, for a survey to determine if the center is doing its best to reach the people who could most benefit from its services, for the granting of legitimate status to the Ed Center, and for the institution by the Admissions office of P.S.U. of an active program to recruit students from the Center to the main campus of the University.

The sustainability of improved pedagogy gained through professional development (PD) of mathematics teachers has undergone little empirical study. In a midsized urban school district in the Northeastern United States, all high school mathematics teachers attended a 3-year mandatory PD program. Although an external evaluator studied this program immediately after completion, there had been no longitudinal study of the perceptions of its participants regarding the sustained benefits of the program. This qualitative study offered a follow-up study of the participants in the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) PD program to provide insight to administrators regarding the sustainability of benefits gained through the MSP program. The conceptual framework for the study consisted of Desimone's model for evaluating PD and Kleining's framework of systematic exploration and inquiry. The participants (N =7) were asked about their perceptions of the value, applicability, longevity, and efficacy of their MSP PD and their suggestions to improve the program. Data were organized and analyzed using Patton's semistructured systematic framework to reveal general consensus as well as anecdotal evidence. The perceptions of the mathematics teachers provided pertinent information that administrators could use to determine the format of future PD. Teachers participating in this study indicated that having a college professor present a combination of content knowledge and pedagogy skills made the MSP program highly effective and long-lasting. Using this feedback, district leaders could institute improved PD, giving their teachers the skill and knowledge to lift their students academically. Closing the mathematics achievement gap may open employment and college opportunities to students which allow them to escape poverty and lead more successful lives.

The focus of this study was to describe rural and urban education from the perspective of teachers. Participant teachers reflected upon their rural and urban teaching experiences and described, through narratives and personal examples, various aspects of rural and urban education. Through this process, participants answered the research question: What are the experiences and perspectives of teachers with respect to teaching in rural and urban environments? Data were collected via semi-structured interviews which were used to help understand the lived experiences of the participants. <p>Based on this qualitative study, numerous characteristics of rural and urban education were highlighted. The participants indicated that rural schools were often closely linked to their community. As a result, many of these teachers could more easily individualize their instruction because they were familiar with the personal lives of their students. Within the rural schools highlighted in this study, lower enrolments and a smaller staff posed challenges, and a limited range of academic programs were offered. Student participation in extracurricular activities was more prominent in this studys rural schools, and the expectations for teachers involvement in extracurricular activities and supervision were high. <p>As with rural education, when the participants described urban education, they emphasized the importance of building strong school-community relationships. Also, this research showed that the larger enrollments of the urban schools highlighted in this study meant these schools were responsible for a greater variety of student needs, both academically and socially. Classroom management was more of an issue for the urban teachers of this study, and the parents of their urban students were often less directly involved within the school. Participants indicated, as urban teachers, they had more opportunities to specialize in their subject area and enjoyed easier access to professional development opportunities. The participants of this study described the academic abilities of urban students to be similar to those of rural students; however, the participants noted urban students to be open to a greater variety of future career choices.<p>There are similar issues surrounding education, whether rural or urban. This study highlighted this point in a number of ways. First this research reflected that close ties between school and community enhanced the pertinence of curriculum content. This indicates that schools need to take advantage of the academic, personal, and cultural resources provided within the community. Another central issue of this study indicated that a teachers background and experience, as well as his or her knowledge of the students and communitys culture affected the way a teacher acts and handles various teaching situations. A final aspect of this study showed that the roles and responsibilities of teachers are diverse. A teacher assumes such roles as educator, counselor, social worker, consultant, coach, role model, and active community member.

In the United States, a growing disparity exists between the racial composition of teachers and the students they teach. In 2006, 43.1% of K–12 public school students were reported as non-White—in 1990, 32.4% (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Teachers, however, are predominantly White, 83.3% (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a). Exacerbating this disparity, it has been noted that fewer African Americans are choosing education as a profession (see, e.g., Irvine, 1989; Ladson-Billings, 1994). This growing disparity motivates a crucial question: Can White teachers be successful with “other people’s children” (Delpit, 1995)? This study explores this question by examining the life histories of four White mathematics teachers who have experienced success with other people’s children, specifically, with African American children. The purpose of the study was to better understand what led each of the participants to teach African American children, and what factors may have led to her or his success as a White teacher of African American students. A qualitative, collective case study methodology (Stake, 1995) was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an eclectic theoretical framework (Stinson, 2009) which included critical theory, critical race theory, and Whiteness studies. Analysis of the data revealed the participants incorporated into their own teaching many of the same characteristics of culturally relevant pedagogy identified by Ladson-Billings (1994). Nevertheless, three strategies were identified as being essential to the teachers’ success with African American students: (a) forming meaningful relationships with students, (b) engaging students in racial conversations, and (c) reflecting both individually and with colleagues. The findings suggest a need for “spaces” in which pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators can discuss and openly debate issues of race, and challenge racial hierarchies found in schools and society at large. The findings also suggest developing a sharp focus on multicultural anti-racist education in teacher preparation programs as well as incorporating it into professional development plans for in-service teachers. Moreover, the findings highlight a need for school districts to provide teachers with professional development in three “How to” areas: (a) build teacher–student relationships, (b) connect to the local community, and (c) develop as reflective practitioners.

The focus of this study was to describe rural and urban education from the perspective of teachers. Participant teachers reflected upon their rural and urban teaching experiences and described, through narratives and personal examples, various aspects of rural and urban education. Through this process, participants answered the research question: What are the experiences and perspectives of teachers with respect to teaching in rural and urban environments? Data were collected via semi-structured interviews which were used to help understand the lived experiences of the participants. <p>Based on this qualitative study, numerous characteristics of rural and urban education were highlighted. The participants indicated that rural schools were often closely linked to their community. As a result, many of these teachers could more easily individualize their instruction because they were familiar with the personal lives of their students. Within the rural schools highlighted in this study, lower enrolments and a smaller staff posed challenges, and a limited range of academic programs were offered. Student participation in extracurricular activities was more prominent in this studys rural schools, and the expectations for teachers involvement in extracurricular activities and supervision were high. <p>As with rural education, when the participants described urban education, they emphasized the importance of building strong school-community relationships. Also, this research showed that the larger enrollments of the urban schools highlighted in this study meant these schools were responsible for a greater variety of student needs, both academically and socially. Classroom management was more of an issue for the urban teachers of this study, and the parents of their urban students were often less directly involved within the school. Participants indicated, as urban teachers, they had more opportunities to specialize in their subject area and enjoyed easier access to professional development opportunities. The participants of this study described the academic abilities of urban students to be similar to those of rural students; however, the participants noted urban students to be open to a greater variety of future career choices.<p>There are similar issues surrounding education, whether rural or urban. This study highlighted this point in a number of ways. First this research reflected that close ties between school and community enhanced the pertinence of curriculum content. This indicates that schools need to take advantage of the academic, personal, and cultural resources provided within the community. Another central issue of this study indicated that a teachers background and experience, as well as his or her knowledge of the students and communitys culture affected the way a teacher acts and handles various teaching situations. A final aspect of this study showed that the roles and responsibilities of teachers are diverse. A teacher assumes such roles as educator, counselor, social worker, consultant, coach, role model, and active community member.

As America's public schools become more diverse, the achievement gap between white students and students of color persists. These gaps are even more apparent in urban areas that serve large numbers of poor students of color. Because the population of aspiring teachers is increasingly white and middle class, theorists and teacher trainers often recommend multicultural education as a solution to working successfully in these schools. Multicultural education theorists claim that their suggestions for K-12 practitioners have not been infused into classrooms and schools, and so maintain that additional training opportunities should be provided for teachers. Although there is ample literature regarding multicultural education, there is scant research discussing teachers' perceptions and experiences with multicultural education, especially experienced teachers at the secondary level post-No Child Left Behind (NCLB). While one of the main purposes for the accountability measures in NCLB is to eliminate the achievement gap, these current political policies are at odds with the ideals of multicultural education. Further, historical and sociological analyses indicate that teachers have not been able to systematically alter school practices or outcomes in urban schools. Therefore, there is a gap between multicultural education theory and practice, as well as a gap between multicultural education theory and policy. The purpose of this study was to further investigate teacher perceptions of the factors in schools that affect the gaps between theories, practice and policy. Seven teachers who embrace multicultural education and work in urban secondary schools serving large populations of students of color were interviewed to further explore their experiences when implementing multicultural practices in their classroom. The results of this research suggest that multicultural education theory may be flawed in the way it approaches teacher training and the unique conditions of urban secondary schools, especially in the high accountability NCLB era. Teachers in this study understood the theoretical foundations of multicultural education, but believed that the goals of multicultural education were beyond what could be accomplished in classrooms. The findings of this study address some of the theoretical inconsistencies related to the institutional contexts of urban schools, teacher retention, and multicultural education teacher training models.

The Black experience is complex; often portrayed as a double consciousness or a tension between two warring ideas that penetrate the soul. Such duplicity can leave Black people perplexed regarding how to navigate in a White world with one dark body. This study explored the experiences of Black males in an urban teacher preparation program as they negotiated their double consciousness in order to understand how race and gender impact teaching and learning in urban schools. Four case studies were conducted representing self-identified Black male graduates who were part of a cohort of pre-service teachers. Data generated from coursework were used as a heuristic for introspective analysis by each participant and complemented by semi-structured interviews. The study illustrates the complex factors for Black males developing as culturally relevant responsive teachers and provides voice to the challenges Black males face while navigating in a capitalistic system that has historically denied equitable access. The research found that prior experiences with double consciousness perpetuate Black males’ oppression and forces them to see their perceived selves through their White counterparts’ and supervisors’ eyes. Double consciousness has a twoness that causes distrustfulness of those that are perceived to be oppressive while also inspires individuals to ‘be the best’. Cohort communities are a great way to facilitate a community of learners but if not managed carefully can lead to racial and ethnic separation. After graduating from the teacher preparation program, the Black males did not remain consistent with their cultural responsiveness but were charged to use the teaching profession as a means to create positive change for others. Findings from this study hold promise for helping teacher education programs develop experiences for Black males that capture and cultivate the unique embodiment of two clashing identities—American and Black.