<p> Social media has permeated nearly every facet of our modern society. The influence on our culture has been beneficial but challenging. The impact of social media upon the school environment has been tremendous, yet few school districts have created policies describing its acceptable use by employees. Teachers are left feeling uncertain as to where the boundaries exist for their personal and professional use of social media and what can happen when they cross that undefined line. This dissertation examines the court cases that have influenced employment decisions for school employees and defined employees&rsquo; First Amendment right to free speech as it relates to the use of social media. The cases related to students&rsquo; free speech limitations that have influenced teachers&rsquo; cases will be reviewed, as well as current policies as they exist at the national, state, and local levels. The primary purpose of this research is to look for trends among the cases, create guidelines for administrators to use to determine if their employees have engaged in protected speech, and provide a framework for districts to use when creating their own social media policies.</p><p>

<p> Active shooter events in K-12 schools have increased since 1990, and developing response policies to such events is a responsibility of school personnel. A paucity of data regarding options-based response practices existed with no focus on policy processes. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to describe the decision-making processes used in school districts when approving the inclusion of options-based responses to active shooter events in Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs). The research questions addressed processes that shaped the development of options-based responses to active shooter policies in 3 K-12 school districts within the Midwest. The conceptual framework was informed by the theory of policy paradox and the concepts of situational awareness and resilience. Structured interviews were conducted with 12 school personnel and safety professionals involved in 3 high schools; EOPs and state and federal regulations and guidelines were reviewed. An analysis of the interview responses and document reviews using four levels of descriptive coding required a cross-case analytic technique to discover patterns, connections, and themes. Law enforcement and school personnel worked together to create policy and to implement trainings related to options-based response. Results included enhancing situational awareness and empowering teachers and students to become responsible for their safety. These findings can be used to inform and guide school leaders in their efforts to make policy and implementation decisions regarding active shooter policies in EOPs. The potential for social change exists in more school personnel understanding and implementing options-based response policies and making the lives of K-12 students safer.</p><p>

<p> Student population demographics in U.S. schools undertook considerable changes in the first decades of the 21^st Century. United States Census Bureau (2012) reports indicate that racial and ethnic populations traditionally referred to as minority populations are transitioning to be the majority of the student population in U.S. schools. However, during this same period, the population of teachers in U.S. schools has remained largely White (Boser, 2014; Deruy, 2013; Holland, 2014). Research has shown that one of the consequences of this demographic difference is the possibility of cultural misunderstandings in schools that can lead to achievement gaps between diverse students and their White peers (McKinley 2010). This achievement gap manifests itself in several areas. One such area is a disparity in the high school graduation rates of White and diverse student populations in Wisconsin and across the United States (Stetser &amp; Stillwell, 2014). </p><p> Culturally responsive teaching methods have developed out of multicultural ideologies in response to the achievement and graduation gaps in schools (Gay, 2000). The focus of this research is to explore the correlation between culturally responsive teaching practices, as measured by the Race and Schooling Instrument (Suhr and Shay, 2008), and the graduation rates of diverse student populations in a sample of nine (N = 9) Wisconsin high schools. The Race and Schooling Instrument is a 23 item (adapted to 24 items for this research) questionnaire that assesses culturally responsive teaching practices, mediated by the social construction of knowledge and an understanding of student and teacher identity development. </p><p> Research has shown that teachers do not develop a culturally responsive teacher identity on their own (Sleeter, 2008). Therefore, this researcher also gathered information on what, if any, culturally responsive training participating schools have implemented over the last calendar year. This information aids in both the anecdotal and direct findings of this research. </p><p> The results of this research do not indicate that culturally responsive teaching practices, as measured by the Race and Schooling Instrument, lead to an increased graduation rate for diverse students. Rather, the results indicate that graduating from high school is a complex interplay of many factors and that culturally responsive practices, not adequately measured by the Race and Schooling Instrument, are likely factors in all measures of student success. This paper concludes with recommendations for educators to increase their focus on culturally responsive training and to make explicit those culturally responsive practices already in use in schools.</p>

<p> This study examines the causes, effects, and prevention strategies that influence a student&rsquo;s decision to drop out of high school. Three research questions are explored: </p><p> 1. What causes 21st century high school students to drop out of high school? </p><p> 2. Why are current dropout prevention measures not meeting the needs of today&rsquo;s students? </p><p> 3. What patterns emerge in participant responses to the question, &ldquo;Why did you leave high school prior to graduation?&rdquo; </p><p> The researcher collected data from 92 students attending orientation for the adult high school program at a small, rural community college who left school prior to graduation. Ten students were selected and agreed to a one on one interview with the researcher in order to provide a rich context to support their decision to drop out of high school. Data collected included academic background, school experiences, family characteristics, parental investment, disciplinary actions, and attendance patterns throughout the student&rsquo;s school career. The study identified precipitating causes for students to withdraw from school including perceptions of education by the student and family, teen pregnancy, socio-economic characteristics of the family and community, disciplinary actions taken against the student, and the student&rsquo;s need to find full time employment. A 5 x5 Chi Square analysis was done to find the degree of relationship between the basic characteristics of poverty to the causes for dropping out. The results of the analysis were not significant, indicating that living in poverty does not cause students to drop out of high school. The data from the surveys, interviews, and chi square analysis showed that dropping out of high school is not a spontaneous decision, but a result of years of academic struggle, personal and family issues, and the need to provide for basic needs. It is a long process, mired in struggle. The study also revealed a lack of school-related incentives and effective dropout prevention programs to address the issue.</p><p>

<p>A teacher?s working conditions can affect his or her performance, satisfaction, how long he or she stays at a particular school site, and how long he or she stays in the profession. In order to attract and retain highly qualified teachers, working conditions need to be as optimal as possible. As demands placed upon teachers continue to increase, more needs to be studied about what constitutes optimal working conditions. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to investigate the working conditions and professional beliefs of eight Southern California secondary (6th-12th grade) school teachers who had two years of teaching experience in the same content area or grade level in both a public school and a district charter school, with at least five years of consecutive full-time teaching experience, to learn more about what constituted ideal working conditions for secondary teachers. More specifically, this study, via in-depth individual interviews, invited participants to (a) describe the work conditions they experienced in a traditional setting, (b) describe the work conditions they experienced in a charter setting, (c) compare the traditional and charter school work conditions that they experienced, and (d) describe what they believe to be the ideal school work conditions for secondary teachers. This study had three conclusions related to working conditions in both traditional public and district charter secondary school settings. The first was that teaching at the secondary level is professionally challenging, in all types of environments. The second was that teachers prefer a blend of traditional public and district charter school environments. The last was that teachers like to have autonomy with opportunities to collaborate and build relationships with colleagues.

<p> After the Syrian Civil War began, refugee exodus gained unprecedented momentum. Turkey, as one of the major destinations of Syrian refugees, experienced problems regarding the accommodation of a high number of refugees (Dorman, 2014; UNICEF, 2014; USAID, 2015). The scholars widely debated the problems regarding educating refugee (Akkaya, 2013; Arabaci et al. 2013), but the available studies do not focus on experiences of refugee students in the schools.</p><p> This dissertation study, therefore, examines the schooling experiences of Syrian child refugees in a Turkish public school with a developing conceptual framework named as Middle East Refugee Protection Model (MRPM). The MRPM originates as a result of the different expectations and motives among the host countries located in Europe and the Middle East.</p><p> This study uses Critical Qualitative Research. The data is collected through interviews and classroom observations. I employed the reconstructive data analysis strategies and used NVivo qualitative data analysis software to analyze the data.</p><p> The results show that the Syrian refugee students&rsquo; experiences in the school in Turkey are not dependent on the liability of the legal instruments but social norms and values. The school staff and classroom teachers use a child-centric approach to educate and integrate refugee students through accentuating values such as transparency and honesty, determination and commitment, and approving authority. Syrian refugee students in the public school face challenges due to their language skills, the host communities&rsquo; social expectations, and the lack of sustainable refugee education policy. As they continue facing challenges, refugee students begin constructing survival skills and these survival skills help them become an independent being and develop a sense of agency.</p><p> Based on the interpretation of the results, I have created two models to explain the refugee education strategies in the school, and how refugee students make sense of the school staff's approach in educating them. The first model is the refugee education and protection model. It explains the concepts and principles that school staff uses to regulate their refugee education system. The second model is agency and independence development, which explains the stages that refugee students go through to be an agent and an independent student. This dissertation suggests theoretical, political and practical implications of the use of models and effective strategies for educating refugees.</p><p>

<p> There are very few studies on the views of school administrators and state legislators regarding federal government mandates for schools. Bolman and Deal (2015) believed people align themselves to survive and thrive in the political framework where resources are scarce, and the aspects of power and conflict inform decisions (Douglas &amp; Mehra, 2015; Pourrajab &amp; Ghani, 2016). This study focused on the thought processes of both school administrators who implement federal mandates and state legislators who navigate funding for federal mandates. Leaders of the political parties of Missouri and school administrators were interviewed to gain insight into the motivation and political views which drive decision making at the state and local levels. The findings of this investigation indicated opinions varied widely on the nature of federal government involvement in education, and political party affiliation had some influence on the belief systems of the participants interviewed. This affiliation runs deep in today&rsquo;s politics and may be difficult to overcome. Data from the study clearly indicated public school administrators favored funding for preschool education yet did not support charter school expansion. Findings from the study offer more than a few implications for both administrative and legislative practice. Administrative interview data could be used to inform legislative decisions for public schools. Bipartisan conversations among stakeholders may offer common ground on these topics for the benefit of Missouri students.</p><p>

Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

<p> Television has been perceived as a possible instructional tool. Research, however, has been unable to determine the television industry&rsquo;s ability to meet children&rsquo;s needs despite federal government&rsquo;s efforts to regulate programming through policy.</p><p> Television&rsquo;s ability to impact learning needs closer examination especially considering that younger audiences are becoming increasingly diverse. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that the percentage of students with disabilities was approximately 13% by the 2008-09 school year with students having a specific learning disability representing the largest group. Reading, in particular, was an identified area of deficiency in 80% of the millions of students with learning disabilities (Therrien &amp; Hughes, 2008).</p><p> This qualitative study&rsquo;s objective was to examine current children&rsquo;s television programming&rsquo;s ability to foster reading skill development in students who have a specific learning disability in reading. Using Anderson and Lorch&rsquo;s (1979) active viewing theory as a lens, I conducted a content analysis of three episodes for each of the following shows for program visual and audio elements that may foster an educational learning environment and for demonstrated use of proven classroom teaching strategies: a) <i> SuperWHY!</i>, b) <i>Martha Speaks</i>, c) <i>WORDGIRL </i>, d) <i>The Electric Company</i>, e) <i>WordWorld </i>, and f) <i>Between the Lions.</i></p><p> All shows&rsquo; episodes contained proven classroom teaching strategies. Common to all six shows was the strategy of teacher modeling. <i>SuperWHY! </i> demonstrated every research-based strategy in every episode with the most-used strategies being questioning, teacher modeling, and accessing prior knowledge. With regards to the shows&rsquo; ability to promote a multimedia learning environment, results per show varied. Across its three episodes, <i> SuperWHY!</i>, however, had evidence of the most regular use of effective audio and visual elements.</p><p> This study provides an examination of television&rsquo;s ability to serve as an instructional tool for students with a specific learning disability in reading. Its findings have implications for further investigation in television&rsquo;s ability to reach this population as well as other learning disabled populations. This study&rsquo;s results also provide implications for practice as well as policy in ensuring the creation and delivery of quality educational programming that meets the needs of a widely diverse audience.</p>