<p> Successful degree completion in American colleges and universities has become a national concern as the United States loses educational ground globally, and seeks to fill the unmet need for an educated workforce. One in five individuals who start their degree at a public, two-year institution complete that degree within three years (Snyder &amp; Dillow, 2015). Less than two in five complete within six years (Shapiro, Dundar, Wakhungu, Yuan, &amp; Harrell, 2015). Minority, first-generation and low-income students complete college at an even lower rate than their less disadvantaged counterparts (Complete College America, 2011; Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, &amp; Gonyea, 2008; Rath, Rock, &amp; Laferriere, 2013; Reindl &amp; Reyna, 2011). Completing a degree begins with the successful completion of a course. While course completion is contingent upon a variety of factors (Bean &amp; Metzner, 1985), the literature clearly indicates that faculty teaching methods have an impact on student success (e.g. Hamilton, 2002; Kuh, et al., 2008; McPhail, 2011). </p><p> The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship between the participation of novice (first-year), full-time technical college faculty in a comprehensive professional development program and the course completion of their disadvantaged students. For the purposes of this study, students were considered disadvantaged if they possessed one or more of the following characteristics: Black or Hispanic, first-generation, or low-income. This represents approximately 50% of the student body at the institution under study. Faculty gender and academic discipline were analyzed for moderating effects. </p><p> The study was conducted at a large Midwestern technical college using pre-existing data stored in the college&rsquo;s data warehouse. A static group comparison research design was used to compare the successful course completion of disadvantaged students (n=4,288) taught by two groups of faculty (n=51): the treatment group, who participated in a mandatory one-year professional development program consisting of 162 hours of orientation, workshops, campus visits, and mentoring; and the comparison group, who participated in a two-day Teacher Bootcamp and campus visits. Binary logistic regression was utilized to determine the relationships, among the variables. </p><p> The results of this study found a significant negative relationship between comprehensive professional development of novice technical college faculty and the successful course completion of their disadvantaged students. Faculty gender and academic discipline did not moderate this relationship. The negative relationship found sheds an important light on the unique needs of the disadvantaged student populations most often served by the community and technical colleges. This most vulnerable population of students, unlike their more advantaged counterparts, have a low margin of error when it comes to navigating the rigid structures of higher education. While comprehensive professional development can indeed change teaching practices, practitioners should carefully consider and evaluate the content being taught in a comprehensive program to ensure those teaching practices do not unintentionally become a detriment to disadvantaged student populations.</p>

<p> The purpose of this grounded theory study was to conceptualize the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of experienced agriculture teachers in the plant sciences. The overarching theme that emerged during data collection and analysis was the influence of beliefs on participants&rsquo; PCK. This finding guided subsequent data collection and analysis that focused on what was shaping the participants&rsquo; PCK in plant sciences. Three major themes that shaped the participants&rsquo; PCK were: integrated belief systems, experiences prior to and during in-service, and the context of the participants. The integrated beliefs system was the driving force in shaping the participants&rsquo; PCK. A substantive level theory was developed that illustrated the relationships between the three themes on participants&rsquo; PCK. These findings support further examination into what is shaping agriculture teachers&rsquo; PCK, including investigation in other agriculture content areas such as animal sciences and further examination into views about the purpose of agricultural education.</p>

<p> The onset of the 21st century brought a new dynamic in the workforce fueled by societal changes and technological advancements. These forces helped to create the conditions that transformed the economy from the industrial age of routine labor to a knowledge age where creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking are now needed for success. In addition, the forecasts for this new global economy of the 21st century project that students will need not only new skillsets but also increased levels of education to succeed in the workplace. To prepare all students for postsecondary education and foster the growth of these new skillsets, education has to integrate reform efforts that address these changes. Yet, a challenge to transforming the education system of the industrial age to one that meets the needs of the 21st century is the two-track system that was created to align with an industrial age economy: one track for those who were to attend higher education and one for those who were to enter the workforce directly from high school. Linked Learning is an evidence-based reform effort that addresses these changes. It includes four elements: academic and technical coursework, student support systems, and work-based learning opportunities. Linked Learning prepares all students for postsecondary education options. Coaches&rsquo; training has been identified as a strategy to aid in the implementation of the elements of Linked Learning and change instructional practice.</p><p> This quantitative dissertation research study examined the impact of the coaches&rsquo; training on the implementation of Linked Learning approach. The study used a web-based survey to collect data from educators who had participated in the coaches&rsquo; training to assess if the training was of value in implementing the core elements and beliefs of Linked Learning with their districts after they had completed the sessions and supporting assignments. Twenty-one educators from northern, central and southern California who had participated in the training responded to 35 Likert items that were aligned to the seven intended coaches&rsquo; outcomes. Participants were given the opportunity to add comments to each section. The results allowed for an assessment of the impact.</p>

<p> Challenges encountered by young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) during the transition from high school to employment have great potential to limit an individual&rsquo;s opportunity and/or capacity for self-determination regarding employment. This mixed-method study is focused on defining the characteristics of self-determined people and examining the challenges to self-determination experienced by a group of nine Project SEARCH interns with ID. Through field observations as well as initial and final interviews, photographs, goal-reporting, and administration of the <i>AIR Self-Determination Scale,</i> the challenges discovered among the Project SEARCH interns included those related to communication; social interaction and awareness; work skill development; emotional control; disposition, positive attitude, and work ethic; and seeing oneself outside of the current work experience. It further examined how intern experiences, interactions, and individualized supports available during the Project SEARCH year contributed to an intern&rsquo;s positive growth and change in the self-determination characteristics directly related to his/her identified challenges.</p>

<p> All students should leave high school equipped with the academic and technical skills necessary to pursue higher education and/or a career. In a changing world, this now means that workforce readiness now demands the same high level of knowledge and skills needed for those who plan to pursue a post-secondary education. While Career and Technical Education (CTE) plays a critical role in accomplishing this goal, it is not always included in the college and career ready conversation. The purpose of this study was to determine what educational outcomes influence student placement in college, career, or both at 12 and 24 months after graduation and what can be learned by examining patterns of those outcomes that will advance current knowledge relative to placement in college or career.</p><p> The research study used ex post facto data in a quantitative non-experimental correlational research design to retrospectively examine placement at 12 and 24 months after high school graduation to determine which educational variables (independent variables) most significantly influenced placement (dependent) in college and career or both. The sample included 6,145 graduates from a Maryland school system. Data analysis included Chi-Square with Cramer&rsquo;s V and Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID).</p><p> The key finding indicated that participation in Advanced Placement (AP) college level courses while in high school, was the most significant predictor of placement at 12 and 24 months after graduation indicating that continued exposure to college level courses throughout a student&rsquo;s high school experience can overcome performance on standardized tests intended to determine college and career readiness. The study also confirmed that a significant number of students who selected traditional career pathways also pursued college. This speaks to the importance of preparation for both college and career no matter what industry the student intends to pursue.</p>

The problem of this study is to determine if certain factors which may be associated with quality of programs of work are significantly different in the most successful departments of vocational agriculture in selected areas of Texas from those in the least successful departments in the same areas. A consideration of the following sub-problems is involved in solving the main problem. 1. Evolution of the objectives of vocational education in agriculture. 2. Identification of activities denoting success in departments of vocational agriculture. 3. Selecting the most successful and the least successful departments of vocational agriculture. 4. Determining the relationship of certain factors to the success of departments of vocational agriculture.

<p> The debate over the effective preparation of pre-service teachers is not new. Often this debate concerns what might be considered successful methods for all pre-service teachers. However, preparation for career and technical education (CTE) teachers could look quite different than that of academic teachers, whether they are prepared through traditional or alternative routes to education. In this qualitative study, the researcher examined two iterations of the alternative-route program designed to prepare new CTE teachers in Mississippi and considered the level of self-efficacy of the teacher participants, the perceived effectiveness of the specific elements of each program, and the perceived significance of teacher/administrator and teacher/mentor relationships. The results of this study indicate that participants in the most recent iteration of the alternative-route program have a higher level of self-efficacy in teaching. The study also found that the specific elements of the newer version of the program are perceived as more relevant than those of the older version of the program and that teacher/administrator and teacher/mentor relationships play a key role in self-efficacy and job satisfaction among new CTE teachers. The results of this study also revealed that new CTE teachers desire opportunities to grow their pedagogical content knowledge by interacting and learning from veteran teachers in their respective content areas. Additionally, some of the more effective teachers who participated in this study rated themselves lower than their less effective colleagues on a self-efficacy survey and vice versa, indicating the presence of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which posits that, when an individual is unskilled in a certain task, they not only make poor choices in that area but also lack the metacognitive ability to realize it.</p>

<p> This study focused on the development of specific aspect of beginning teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in an Alternative Certification Program (ACP). Data was collected over a period of over two years and included lesson plans, interviews with the participants and their mentors as well as classroom observations and participant reflections. Four participants were purposefully selected to represent one cohort in the ACP. Individual profiles constructed for each case and the subsequent cross-case analysis revealed that the participants shifted their beliefs about students as learners and assessment based on the influence of the context under which they were developing at each point in time. These shifts, while dependent on their views of the context, were strongly influenced by their initial views as they relate to these aspects of PCK. Participants would resolve any conflict arising with new views presented to them in a subjective manner, prioritizing coherence with their prior knowledge on the specific aspect of PCK and with the other aspects of their PCK. These findings provide an alternative perspective on the nature of the shift in knowledge that occurs during teacher preparation and the initial years of teaching. It allows us to provide a different angle on the dynamics among PCK components based on the interaction among them as they develop over time. Moreover they allow us to see that this development is neither linear nor unidirectional. Additionally it shows us that teachers constantly revalue their views of students as learners and assessment based on the experiences provided by both their academic and professional context. </p>

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University.

<p> The purpose of this mixed methods case-study was to understand why students enroll in the Community Involvement work-study program, why employers continue to host students, and what are the parents&rsquo; perceptions of their child&rsquo;s experience. The following research question framed this study: <i>What is the perceived impact of the Community Involvement Program?</i> </p><p> Five additional questions further guided this study: 1. Why do students enroll in the Community Involvement Program? 2. What impact does enrolling in a work-study program have for participating students? 3. What motivates employers to become a volunteer host site for Community Involvement students? 4. What impact do parents perceive when their son or daughter participates in the Community Involvement Program? 5. How do students enrolled in the Community Involvement Program compare to those students who are not enrolled in the program based on GPAs, attendance patterns, and postsecondary plans? </p><p> This study examined the perceptions of the students, employers, parents, the instructor and the high school principal. Qualitative methods included open-ended surveys, interviews, focus groups, and student artifacts. Quantitative methods included analyzing Likert-type survey questions and archival data (GPAs, attendance patterns, and postsecondary plans). The findings will provide those involved in the education and workforce communities with insight into why students and employers continue to enroll in and support work-study programming. </p><p> The research study concluded that students, employers, parents, the instructor and the principal all found benefit in the Community Involvement Program. The study also confirmed the positive impact on GPAs, school attendance and postsecondary enrollment noted in the previous work-study literature. Seniors enrolled in the work-study program at Fulton High School had significantly higher GPAs, fewer absences, and were more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year postsecondary program as compared to seniors not enrolled. The students also shared that they believe the Community Involvement Program provided career exploration opportunities, lessons about work environment, lessons about postsecondary planning, and the development of meaningful relationships which impacted their future. Employers host students because they want to support the school and local community, see a positive impact on their work environment, find future employees, and develop meaningful relationships with the students. Parents noted that Community Involvement Program positively impacted their child&rsquo;s career and postsecondary decisions, their children learned valuable work lessons, and developed relationships with employers that impacted career and college decisions. Each of the participants including the instructor and principal suggested expanding the program to all juniors and offer the program during the summer. Recommendations based on the findings included: 1) more high schools should offer work-study programs for one or two semesters to juniors and seniors, 2) encourage employers to host and expand opportunities for students, 3) hire students who participate, and 4) promote work-study opportunities in the community and schools.</p><p>