<p> In partial response to poverty, food insecurity, and other risk factors believed to adversely impact academic achievement, school districts have begun to implement the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program. While research identifies health, nutrition, and achievement-related benefits of school meal programs, few studies focus on leaders' perceptions of the BIC program. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of district and school leaders on the BIC program implemented in their schools, as well as to examine their recommendations for long-term program success. </p><p> This case study employed Bolman and Deal's framework through which structural, human resources, political, and symbolic aspects of the BIC program were examined at two elementary schools. Twelve participants were interviewed. Findings indicated that leaders perceived the BIC program to be a valuable social program with benefits that outweighed its flaws. They recommended the importance of school-site support, implementation differentiation, an improved menu, and the establishment of a food donation program or classroom food storage system to ensure BIC program success.</p>

<p> Violence among America's youth, both in schools and in their surrounding communities, has become a serious concern as a public health issue with physical, economic, social, and psychological consequences (Cooper, Faccia, Hepworth, &amp; Lutenbacher, 2003). School districts are now required to provide safe learning environments under the guidelines of the NCLB (Greenberg, 2004). The programs available to assist school districts in combating this aggressive behavior can be costly and often times ineffective for long term results. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative mega-analysis is threefold. The first purpose is to identify the intervention methods used most often as prevention and/or repair strategies for aggressive behavior among school-age students by analyzing prior quantitative research on the topic. The second purpose is to create a qualitative mega-analysis of behavior intervention strategies that is easier to understand for teachers and school districts while adding to current research in the field. The third and final purpose is to help schools minimize costs and give them the tools needed to identify their greatest school and/or district need, detect common situations, and solve their own problems.</p>

<p> Private liberal arts colleges are uniquely American institutions whose very existence is due to the philanthropic generosity of individuals and organizations (Thelin, 2004). They receive little direct government support and rely on tuition revenues, endowment earnings, and philanthropy to balance their budgets, making them susceptible to shifts in the economy (Balderston, 1995). How these institutions plan for the future and how philanthropy factors into these plans was an important question to examine (Connell, 2006). This study addressed deficiencies in the literature by providing an in-depth view of how the constituencies of a singular four-year, private liberal arts college believed that philanthropy affected a strategic planning process and how administrative decision-making models were used during this process. </p><p> The following research questions were addressed: a.) How did philanthropy affect planning for capital projects within a strategic plan? b.) How did philanthropy affect the focus of current and future academic offerings of an institution? c.) How did philanthropic considerations affect the organizational structure which supports the fulfillment of the strategic plan? A total of 23 key informants were interview for this study and 58 pages of materials were reviewed. Using case study methodology provided practitioners and scholars with a deeper understanding of how philanthropy and strategic planning have a mutual influence upon one another. Also, exploring how decision-making models were utilized in this process provided an important insight into the practice of shared governance and decision-making at a liberal arts college. </p><p> It was evident during the case study of Selective College that philanthropy did play a role in facility planning, and the implementation of new value-added academic and co-curricular programs. The core mission, values, and academic focus of Selective College were not altered due to the influence of philanthropy during the strategic planning exercise. In addition, new administrative positions were created to increase philanthropic revenue. There was also a focus on increasing revenue through tuition and fees leading to investments in admissions and marketing efforts. A new form of institutional decision-making emerged during this study which allowed for feedback, but resulted in institutional leadership making final decisions with a focus on increasing revenues.</p>

<p> Due to federal laws requiring standardized testing of only a select few of the core subjects, many students have been divested of fine arts instruction (Chen, 2008; Garcia, 2010; Jacobsen &amp; Rothstein, 2009; Maxwell, 2008; Suzuki, 2009). Moreover, school officials have reduced funding allocated to non-tested content areas as one means of balancing district budgets in a poor economy (Chen, 2008; Garcia, 2010). This mixed method study examined music educators' and curriculum directors' perceptions of how federal education laws have affected public school fine arts. Analysis of data from interviews of six music educators and six curriculum directors were conducted concurrently with the distribution of a Likert online survey. The interview and survey methodologies provided descriptive data of educators' perceptions regarding the consideration of fine arts as a core subject in policy and practice, the role of public school fine arts in the education of the whole child, the overall value of the fine arts in light of brain research, and the controversy surrounding the standardized assessment of the fine arts. The findings of the study revealed that even though all curriculum directors and music educators agreed the fine arts should be included in a child's holistic education, music educators possessed stronger beliefs regarding the fine arts being considered a core subject, Curriculum directors indicated their districts valued the fine arts as a public relations tool and as a means to boost achievement in other subjects, while music educators in the same district spoke of feeling devalued, indicating a disconnect in communication between administrators and staff. Finally, though many educators oppose the standardized testing of the fine arts, the assessments would provide valuable data.</p>

This thesis examines the decision making and information search process of students choosing university courses in Victoria Australia. The position adopted for this study is that of a buyer or consumer behaviour perspective. This is the first study of its kind undertaken in Australia. Much related research been done in the United States and elsewhere. However, the Australian higher education system has unique characteristics. Consequently, while existing student-choice models drawn from elsewhere provide a useful foundation, they are not sufficient to answer the key question: How do students choose universities in Australia? Implicit in this overarching question are several issues examined by this study: how a student makes a choice is related to what choices there are to be made, and why the student makes a choice about a particular institution. (For complete abstract open document)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Virginia, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 242-286).

<p> The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was the identification of teachers&rsquo; perceptions of professional development during the transition to and implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the classroom. National reform efforts driven by an increased need for skill acquisition applicable to diverse needs in an ever-expanding global economy and increased demands for teacher accountability in the realm of student achievement requires additional teacher professional development. This study applied the constructs of social learning theory and constructivism in developing both the research questions and subsequent interview questions used during the data collection phase. Identification of overarching themes and patterns in participant responses provided crucial information relevant to the ongoing development of teacher professional development training opportunities from which teachers improve and expand pedagogical knowledge while applying CCSS in classroom instruction. The key emergent these derived from data analysis include, Theme 1: Sharing informational resources; Theme 2: Engagement and active participation; Theme 3: Collaboration enhances implementation; and Theme 4: Implementation and support. This study has the prospective to provide positive progress in the development and delivery of professional development aligned to teachers&rsquo; stated interests and concerns.</p>

<p>In many countries, particularly in the developing world, a large number of girls are receiving little or no formal education, in spite of all of the benefits that education can confer. Education has intrinsic value, as girls can experience a sense of agency and empowerment when they are able to achieve their educational goals. It is also important to human development, and there are tangible benefits to be gained from educating girls. This study examines the effects of increased efforts to improve gender equality in education in the developing world. Specifically, I investigate many of the interventions that have been implemented for the purpose of improving girls? secondary education, and consider which have been the most effective, in terms of both numbers of girls in school and the quality of their educational experience. In evaluating quality, I specifically consider what ramifications the different strategies have for girls? capabilities as informed by Martha Nussbaum?s conception of the capabilities approach. The data come primarily from published papers and reports from a variety of countries, and also include a small amount of firsthand information that I collected from contacts that I met during recent travel in Uganda and Rwanda. Details from people who work in schools and in education-related NGOs in these countries, and who have seen up-close the effects of different interventions on girls? education, are utilized to add depth and personal insights to the data from the published reports. At the conclusion of the study, I make recommendations, with girls? capabilities in mind, about which interventions I think are the most beneficial and worth pursuing. Which strategies are the most effective at improving girls? access to schools and the experiences they have once they are there? Those that specifically address issues of quality, rather than just access, seem likely to have the most beneficial effects on girls? capabilities.

<p> This exploratory study compares organizational configurations of principal autonomy in Finland and New York State. Evidence from Finnish school site visits and surveys distributed to principals in New York State and Finland is utilized to compare principal autonomy in two distinct educational settings. </p><p> The distinguishing feature of the U.S. school system is local control by school boards, which dates back to the colonial era (Wong &amp; Langevin, 2005). This organizational setting contrasts from the educational system in Finland where the central government still holds statutory responsibility for education, but has decided to delegate decisions affecting the daily processes of a school to the principal and staff of each individual schools (Caldwell &amp; Harris, 2006; Sabel, Saxenian, Miettinen, Kristensen, &amp; Hautam&auml;ki, 2010). Finland was chosen for this study because of its recent success on PISA and the attention Finland has received from U.S. policymakers, reformers, professors, and the media. If the Finnish school system is a &ldquo;miracle&rdquo; as some proclaim (Darling-Hammond, 2010), then what can we learn from this organizational setting?</p><p> The hypothesis of this study is that principals in devolved and radically decentralized settings (e.g. New York State) possess less autonomy compared to principals in settings with a distinct educational center that allows decentralized decision-making at the local level (e.g. Finland). The research questions this study proposes to consider are: 1) To what extent do principals in devolved school systems (such as New York State) exercise autonomy when making decisions compared to principals in an educational system where authority is delegated by the central government (such as Finland)? 2) Is there a relationship between principal autonomy and the type of decentralization? 3) How does the type of decentralization affect a principal&rsquo;s ability to act autonomously in making decisions?</p><p> To examine the validity of the hypothesis and to answer these research questions, principals from New York State and Finland were selected to answer an electronically administered survey similar to the <i>School and Staffing Survey</i> distributed by the U.S. Department of Education. An analysis of the survey results was utilized to help understand if a relationship exists between different organizational configurations and principal autonomy. I also went to visit schools in Finland and had the opportunity to meet with school principals and representatives of the OAJ (Trade Union of Education). </p><p> Principals were asked about their autonomy in making decisions related to personnel and instruction. My findings indicate that in almost all instances, principals in Finland enjoy a higher degree of autonomy than their counterparts in New York State. Principals in New York State, which operate in an educational atmosphere where different levels of government and bureaucratic entities ratify laws, pass policies, and make decisions that affect instruction and personnel, experience a lower degree of autonomy. In contrast, principals that work in a system, such as Finland&rsquo;s, where the central government delegates authority to local educational agencies and allows the administration and staff of each school to make decisions indicate a higher degree of autonomy. </p>

<p> While classroom teachers report alarming rates of unpreparedness, and even unwillingness to include diverse populations in the classroom, our nation is continuing along a trend started in the 1990s to include students with disabilities (SWD) in general education settings. This quasi-experimental research study uncovered the impact of completing the required continuing education course in teaching SWD course mandated by Florida Senate Bill 1108 ([SB1108]; The Florida Senate, 2013b), which amended Florida Statute 1012.585 (3) (e) (Process for Renewal of Professional Certificates, 2017) on perceived teacher ability to implement inclusion practices. An online version of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale developed by Sharma, Loreman, and Forlin (2012) was utilized, along with demographic and experiential factors for classroom teachers in the study district to examine their self-efficacy toward inclusion. Analysis of the data indicated statistically significant differences in mean TEIP scale scores for exceptional student education (ESE) and general education teachers. </p><p> Data analyses revealed that almost half of the teachers had a negative view of and did not perceive any benefit from the course. While ESE and general education teachers had similar preparation needs, they also reported areas of concern specific to their subset. Overall, the course did not provide enough continuing education in the areas most needed by the participants. SB1108-mandated course completion was also not found to be an indicator of higher teacher self-efficacy for the majority of teachers. Analysis of the differences in TEIP scale scores found that only elementary school teachers benefited from completing the course, while it had the opposite effect for general education high school teachers and no significant effect for ESE teachers. Differences in TEIP scale scores from demographic and experiential factors accounted for 13% of the variance in the population and was not significant for the ESE teacher subset. One percent or less of the variance was attributed to completion of the required continuing education course. </p><p> Implications include reviewing the legislation&rsquo;s effectiveness for teachers in different areas and grade levels, hiring and evaluation decisions based on TEIP scale scores of applicants and employees, and designing more meaningful continuing education courses. Recommendations for state legislatures, school administrators, designers of continuing education courses, and for future research regarding improvement of teacher self-efficacy for inclusive practices are offered.</p><p>