<p> The purpose of this qualitative research was to (a) explore the issues that international undergraduate students face during academic experiences at U.S. colleges and/or universities, (b) study the relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students as measured by the extent of congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' online survey results, and (c) propose appropriate guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in adult classrooms to enhance international undergraduate students' learning satisfaction. The researcher used convenience sampling that included 96 participants at Lindenwood University, Saint Charles. The researcher conducted a focus group discussion with 14 international undergraduate students from 10 countries, an online survey with 70 international undergraduate students and five U.S. professors using the Modified Instructional Perspective Inventory (MIPI), and the in-depth interviews with seven faculty experts selected from the Education Department and the International Students and Scholars Office. </p><p> The results showed international undergraduate students are faced with five major issues including language, isolation, discrimination, professors' instruction techniques, and professors' behaviors in the classroom. The emerging themes in the focus group discussion were financial support, positive experiences, and suggestion for improving teacher leadership in the classroom. There was no congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' perceptions on four factors of the MIPI&mdash;teacher empathy with learner, teacher trust of learners, planning and delivery of instruction, and accommodating learner uniqueness. However, there was congruency between U.S. professors' and international undergraduate students' perceptions on three factors of the MIPI&mdash;teacher insensitivity toward learners, experience-based learning techniques, and teacher-centered learning processes. This congruency level, however, did not indicate a good relationship between U.S. professors and international undergraduate students, but instead the professors' inability to balance the practice of learner-centered and teacher-centered teaching approaches in the classroom. The proposed Guidelines for U.S. Teacher Leaders in Adult Classrooms suggested processes to enhance International Undergraduate Satisfaction as follows: application of professors' beliefs (teachers' trust of learners and teachers' accommodating learners' uniqueness), professors' feelings (teachers' empathy with learners and teachers' insensitivity toward learners), and professors' behaviors (delivery of various instruction techniques and appropriate use of learner-centered and teacher-centered learning processes in the right context).</p><p>

<p> This qualitative single case study on backward design lesson planning experiences of teachers in a professional learning community focused on gaining a better understanding of collaborative planning of standards-based learning intentions, success criteria, assessments, and activities as performed by four participants meeting daily in one high school content area department. The backward design lesson planning model contains three stages, including development of standards-based learning objectives, learning objective-based assessments, and assessment criteria-based authentic learning activities. The research problem was informed by multiple selections from the body of literature in the field of education on backward design lesson planning, curriculum evaluation frameworks, and suggestions for a need to better understand collaborative planning, backward design curricula, professional development-informed planning and practice, and professional learning community interactions in designing curricula. The purpose of the study was to better understand how teachers develop standards-derived learning intentions, success criteria, assessments, and activities through the backward design lesson planning model. The conceptual framework was constructed from a synthesis of findings from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods peer-reviewed research reports in the field of curriculum and teaching. Synthesized findings informed the structure and sections of the conceptual framework, supporting the purpose of the research in better understanding connections between components of traditional linear curriculum evaluation, the three stages of backward design, and the need to better understand interactions between professional development practice of new curriculum development initiatives, implementation of new initiatives in professional learning community lesson plan design, and teacher perceptions of planning lessons through the lens of backward design. Through observational field notes and open-ended questionnaires pertaining to the three stages of backward design lesson development, teacher actions observed during professional learning community meetings and experiences noted by teachers on questionnaire forms indicated that teachers utilized their common lesson planning time in deriving learning objectives from content area standards, generating formative assessments for ongoing feedback to inform teaching and learning, generating rubrics for clarity in the relationship between success criteria and the satisfying of learning objectives, and sequencing activities based on ability levels of individual learners so that challenges were scaffolded based on cognitive complexity, with the goal of all students meeting learning objectives. Potential impacts of study results include integration of backward design lesson planning into professional development programs and professional learning community curriculum development programs for alignment, clarity, and congruency between content area department standards, objectives, assessments, and activities. Recommendations for future research informed by minor themes uncovered during the study include a need for further study of teacher perceptions of standards-based grading practices.</p><p>

<p> This study was directed by a modified Delphi-methodology design to gain perspective of the perceptions of alumni regarding the value and applicability of the general education program. The expert-panel participants were 14 alumni of Frostburg State University from various majors, representative of all three colleges, who graduated between 2006 and 2011. This study sought to identify alumni perceptions of general education programming through three rounds of a survey administration and to use alumni responses to review the future development of the general education program. Overall, respondents agreed that their experiences at Frostburg moderately prepared them for real-world demands. Specifically, the average importance rankings of the various attributes related to their bachelor&rsquo;s degrees identified by the panel were as follows: overall life preparation, preparation to be well-rounded and educated, career and professional preparation, preparation for the major, and aided in skill development. </p><p> Alumni ranked the importance of skills/attributes that prepared them for their profession as follows: communication, internship, leadership, relating to others, understanding different perspectives, legal and ethical skills, becoming well-rounded, and open-mindedness. Attributes identified as important to alumni when explaining their general education course selections were perceived usefulness of the course in the future, the subject of the course, the convenience of when the course was offered (time and day), satisfying the General Education Program requirement, advisor guidance, the professor teaching the course, and course rigor. </p><p> English composition and social and behavioral sciences ranked highest in importance, followed by mathematics, in all three rounds of the survey. Arts, humanities, and biological and physical sciences exhibited lower importance, measured by the mean rank. Regarding course subjects, English had the highest ranking followed by psychology, sociology, probability, and statistics.</p><p>

<p> National assessments have shown that the majority of students in the United States cannot read at grade level by fourth grade. These results are alarming because students who are not proficient readers by third grade suffer long-term consequences and are more likely to drop out of high school. Feeling pressure to improve reading outcomes, schools have responded by implementing a wide range of interventions. One approach is ability grouping, a system in which students of similar ability levels are grouped together for instruction. </p><p> This study consisted of a quantitative program evaluation of a literacy program designed to accelerate reading achievement. The literacy program placed students reading below grade level into ability-grouped classrooms with reduced class sizes. Quantitative analyses were conducted on secondary student assessment data. First, the performance of students in the literacy program was compared against the performance of a pair-matched group of their peers not in the literacy program via an independent-samples <i>t</i> test. Then, the students&rsquo; performance during the literacy program was compared to their performance in the previous school year via a dependent-samples <i> t</i> test. Finally, a chi-square test of independence was conducted for disproportionality of student subgroups. </p><p> The program evaluation found that, when students in the literacy program were compared to the pair-matched comparison group, the literacy program either had no effect or small, but statistically significant, negative effects. In contrast, the literacy program had positive effects when students in the literacy program were compared to their own prior performance. However, post-hoc analyses showed that all students, regardless of instructional placement, experienced significant growth during the same period. Therefore, it was not possible to attribute the growth to the literacy program. Finally, results showed that English learner students and students in special education were overrepresented in the literacy program. The study concluded that the literacy program was not substantively effective. The findings suggest that ability grouping did not improve student outcomes, concurring with existing literature. This conclusion, combined with potential implications for students, urges school leaders to reexamine ability grouping interventions.</p><p>

<p> With only four years of mandated state-standards in adult basic education (ABE), very little is known about the influence of state-standards implementation on the unique learning needs of its adult students. Two decades of research on standards-based education in the U.S. K12 system has yielded widely debated results regarding the impact of state-standards on student achievement. Against this backdrop, state-standards implementation within the distinct context of Minnesota ABE was examined in this study, specifically the perceived influence of standards implementation on teacher practices and student engagement in cognitive rigor, as well as the teacher, site, and student characteristics reported to have either supported or challenged implementation. The basic qualitative design was utilized to collect and interpret the perceptions and experiences of its sample of 12 Minnesota ABE teachers from distinct instructional contexts with 12 or more hours of standards implementation training. Data triangulation was utilized for data collection, including an interview and two member checks. The inductive analysis procedure in concert with the constant comparative method was used to analyze the interviews and develop themes and deeper connections based on the theory of complex adaptive systems. The results of the study showed that, overall, participants reported modest changes in their teaching practices that they perceived to have increased their students&rsquo; engagement in cognitive rigor. Participants also reported modest changes in student demonstration of learning that indicated increased cognitive rigor. Findings indicated a minimal contrast to the inconclusive nature of the K12 research base in establishing a link between standards implementation and increased student achievement. Furthermore, the findings showed that state leaders should continue to offer robust training and support teacher collaboration. </p><p>

<p> This three-article dissertation contains three approaches to the topic of professional learning communities and their impact on student achievement. Article I is a synthesis of the literature related to the purpose of professional learning communities. Implications in educational settings are also presented in this article. The context of the review acknowledges the role of constructivism as the theoretical basis for the participation of teachers in professional learning communities, and highlights the significance of the problem. Article II describes a qualitative case study which explores data collected from teachers (via survey, N=35) and administrators (via in-person interviews, N=3) about the implementation and impact of a professional learning community at an underperforming school. Article III provides a training manual that may be utilized to revise and expand a pilot model of professional learning communities in an elementary school.</p><p>

<p> This applied dissertation presented a mixed method design to gain a broader perspective of the perceptions of classroom management practitioners within a particular school district. Many teachers, or practitioners, experience issues with classroom management because of their understanding of strategies they use. Because of the researcher&rsquo;s position within the education system, it was recognized practitioners are mandated to utilize specific classroom management strategies. As such, the study was designed to glean the perceptions of these practitioners in relation to the misunderstandings and mandates related to the strategies dealt with on a daily basis. </p><p> The perspectives gleaned afforded opportunities to generate statistical data. The last question presented to the study participants allowed each participant to express his or her ideas, related to the questionnaire or otherwise, in any way they saw fit. The analysis of the study took into consideration the open response comments as they pertained to the statistical data generated. </p><p> Findings revealed the most favorable, as well as most effective, strategies as perceived by actual practitioners. Practitioners also expressed their opinions indicating their displeasure regarding mandated classroom management strategies commonly referred to as Office Referrals. Practitioners indicated they perceived revoking student privileges, placing students in time-out areas, and utilizing counseling services as more effective when choosing strategies relative to managing their classrooms.</p><p>

<p> This study investigated the relationship between flexible learning environments and student attitudes about reading. Flexible learning environments are spaces wherein learners can choose from different seating or standing options, locations within the learning space, and the size group with which to work. This allows the learner to find the environment that he or she learns best in. The researcher sought to understand if flexible learning environments and the autonomy to choose from the aforementioned criteria improved student attitudes about reading. </p><p> To evaluate the relationship between flexible learning environments and student attitudes about reading, the researcher interviewed and surveyed teachers, and observed and surveyed fourth graders at a St. Louis County public elementary school. The fourth-grade classrooms consisted of varying degrees of established flexible learning environments, yet the students had experienced traditional style classrooms prior to fourth grade. Given this dynamic, these students had a solid perspective of both classroom styles and were able to accurately reflect on and articulate personal feelings about reading and their learning environments. Teachers surveyed and interviewed had, at some time in their career, designed traditional and/or flexible learning environments in their classrooms. </p><p> The researcher utilized qualitative analysis to examine the relationship between flexible learning environments and a change in student attitudes about reading, investigated the relationship between teacher experience and the influence on perspectives regarding style preference of learning environments, and analyzed student perspectives about the relationship between their learning environments and their attitudes about reading. </p><p> The results of this study indicated that in the study school, teachers&rsquo; professional experiences influenced classroom design, and student attitudes about reading were improved as a result of being provided opportunities to choose where and how to sit, and having the autonomy to choose the text they read during independent reading periods. The relationship was not solely related to the environmental features often found within a flexible learning environment. </p><p>

<p> Low-income, first-generation, urban students are typically underprepared academically for college-level course work and lack knowledge, which most non-first-generation students possess (Ward, Siegel, &amp; Davenport, 2012). Success in higher education depends on students effectively navigating and transitioning into an institution (Pike &amp; Kuh, 2005). Community-based nonprofit organizations support first-generation, low-income, urban students as they navigate through the provision of college access/readiness programs (Smith, Benitez, Carter, &amp; Melnick, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of one community-based college access program on the persistence, retention, and matriculation of its participants. Quantitative data included retention rates and grade point averages of 39 students who participated in the program and 82 similarly qualified non-participants. The retention rate for students participating in the program was 95% and the GPA was 2.88, as compared to a 79% retention rate and a GPA of 2.40 for similarly qualified students. The difference in both retention rates and GPA was statistically significant. For the qualitative portion of the study, focus groups were conducted to understand perceptions of 15 participants who were first-generation, low-income, urban students. Their responses were viewed through the lens of Schlossberg's (1989) theory of marginality and mattering. In addition, staff members who have worked longitudinally with students were interviewed. Three themes emerged: relationships, intentional experiences, and self-advocacy. Based on the findings from this study, college access programs should design their curriculum and experiences around the relationship between students and staff members.</p><p>

<p> The educational system in the United States continues to pose many challenges for law and policy makers. Many of these challenges can be traced back to two landmark cases, <i>Plessy vs. Ferguson</i> and <i>Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka.</i> And, while the U.S. Department of Education developed programs to address many of these issues, the cost versus the benefits must be considered. This research study examined the impact of federally-funded School Improvement Grants (SIGs) for elementary, middle, and high schools across the state of Missouri from 2010 to 2015 on retention rates, graduation rates, and test scores. The state of Missouri identified 56 schools as low-performing, and therefore, eligible to receive the grants. Specifically, this study examined whether the amount of SIG funds allocated per student was associated with increases in achievement scores (mathematics and English), graduation rates, and dropout rates. Using bivariate regression, the findings showed a statistically significant relationship only between the amount of SIG funds allocated per student and English scores. Surprisingly, the relationship showed that as the amount of funds allocated per student increased, English scores decreased. However, after a multivariate regression, findings indicated mathematics scores significantly increased as the amount of SIG funds per student increased, while English scores remained significant in the same direction. This research study also analyzed the relationship between the amount of SIG funds allocated per student and median household income during the first year the funds were disseminated. Because special attention was given to the educational achievement gap and race/ethnicity, this research study also compared Black and White student populations. The results showed that as the population of Black students increased, mathematics and English scores decreased. Furthermore, the findings showed that as the population of Black students increased, the amount of SIG funds allocated per student decreased. This suggested that there may be a need to examine how funds were allocated and what other issues may have confounded the relationships between SIG funds and the major variables presented in this research.</p><p>