<p> In Tanzania, the debate surrounding language of instruction has been rekindled with an announcement in February of 2015 that the language of instruction would be changed from English to Kiswahili in Ordinary Level secondary schools. European languages have perceived economic benefits, while researchers in cognitive learning argue foreign languages of instruction are often detrimental to a child&rsquo;s learning. However, this debate is studied largely at the national and international levels. This dissertation research investigates perceptions of language of instruction in a rural school community using critical theory, the theory of communicative action, and a language ecology framework. Qualitative analysis of community foreign language learning resources and a construct modeling approach was used to create and pilot a quantitative instrument in several rural secondary school communities for the purpose of measuring and acknowledging foreign language learning resources in a rural school community. Findings revealed participants&rsquo; cultural attachment to Kiswahili in tension with the high utilitarian value they place on knowing the English language. Few participants believed there are many resources for learning English in or outside of school. Findings from the survey using descriptive analysis and item response theory revealed that few items captured the variability of the construct within the sample, yet exposed possible weaknesses and offered direction for further, future investigation. This study concludes with a discussion of the findings in relation to the theories and framework guiding this study, as well as a discussion of the child&rsquo;s right to learn.</p><p>

<p> This study was born out of a concern that U.S. community colleges were currently using or considering using noncognitive variables for academic placement without an understanding of how students would react to these scales in a high-stakes setting. While the use of noncognitive variables for placement often stems from a desire to overcome the myriad of limitations of content-based placement tests, the researcher was concerned that noncognitive variables had the potential to become an <i>extension</i> of the problems caused by the test. </p><p> This study was guided by two research questions: How does the high-stakes nature of academic placement impact student responses on noncognitive scales? How does the context, demand, characteristics, and framing of the noncognitive variables impact stereotype threat, if at all? The researcher performed a random control trial of incoming community college students to determine how they might react to questions about noncognitive variables. One group was told their responses would be used for placement, and the other was told that their responses would be used to improve instruction. </p><p> The major findings suggest that initial framing played a role in participant responses and lowered responses on some noncognitive variables, but that the act of having taken a placement test was also a moderator of student behavior and whether or not students believed the initial framing. Stereotype threat susceptibility appeared to have a statistically significant relationship with some participants&rsquo; responses on some noncognitive scales, and there was evidence that initial framing was not related. Finally, while participants were generally honest, those who did change their answers did so in a manner that was inconsistent, more so when given high stakes framing.</p><p>

<p> The main purpose of this study was to conduct a validation analysis of student surveys of teaching effectiveness implemented at Bangkok University, Thailand. This study included three phases; survey development, a pilot study, and a full implementation study. Four sources of validity evidence were collected to support intended interpretations and uses of survey scores. To this end, this study evaluated the extent to which the content evidence supported the construct definition of the survey (RQ1), the relationships among survey items and survey components corresponded to the construct dimension (RQ2), the survey exhibited gender differential item functioning (RQ3), and student ratings and a similar measure of teaching quality and student achievement (RQ4) were related.</p><p> Overall, the student survey demonstrated good psychometric quality and the intended purposes and uses of the survey were supported. Based on expert reviews, the dimensions and survey items were perceived adequate in covering teaching quality, the survey items were perceived to properly assess the associated dimensions, and the response scales were perceived suitable with what was intended to measure. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that the construct of teaching effectiveness as defined in this survey may be unidimensional. Although the results did not support multidimensionality, the dimensions can still be used by individual instructors to evaluate their own teaching. Cronbach&rsquo;s &alpha; coefficients were high and supported the internal consistency of the survey. There was no occurrence of gender DIF in this student survey. Therefore, the validity evidence of survey score interpretations was supported since the meaning of survey categories/scales was shared across male and female students. Finally, the results based on relation to other variables showed a strong positive relationship between the student survey and another currently used survey at Bangkok University which was used to evaluate teaching effectiveness for a decade. This could indicate that the student survey was measuring a similar construct of teaching effectiveness.</p><p>

<p> The main purpose of this study was to conduct a validation analysis of student surveys of teaching effectiveness implemented at Bangkok University, Thailand. This study included three phases; survey development, a pilot study, and a full implementation study. Four sources of validity evidence were collected to support intended interpretations and uses of survey scores. To this end, this study evaluated the extent to which the content evidence supported the construct definition of the survey (RQ1), the relationships among survey items and survey components corresponded to the construct dimension (RQ2), the survey exhibited gender differential item functioning (RQ3), and student ratings and a similar measure of teaching quality and student achievement (RQ4) were related.</p><p> Overall, the student survey demonstrated good psychometric quality and the intended purposes and uses of the survey were supported. Based on expert reviews, the dimensions and survey items were perceived adequate in covering teaching quality, the survey items were perceived to properly assess the associated dimensions, and the response scales were perceived suitable with what was intended to measure. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that the construct of teaching effectiveness as defined in this survey may be unidimensional. Although the results did not support multidimensionality, the dimensions can still be used by individual instructors to evaluate their own teaching. Cronbach&rsquo;s &alpha; coefficients were high and supported the internal consistency of the survey. There was no occurrence of gender DIF in this student survey. Therefore, the validity evidence of survey score interpretations was supported since the meaning of survey categories/scales was shared across male and female students. Finally, the results based on relation to other variables showed a strong positive relationship between the student survey and another currently used survey at Bangkok University which was used to evaluate teaching effectiveness for a decade. This could indicate that the student survey was measuring a similar construct of teaching effectiveness.</p><p>

<p> This dissertation studies 7 high-performing middle school principals&rsquo; leadership styles and programs as measured by their student achievement on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress or CAASPP. The qualitative research includes interviews of these identified school leaders about their self-reported strengths that account for their students&rsquo; success. While Kouzes and Posner&rsquo;s set of leadership practices is the theoretical framework behind this study, the primary investigator developed two themes evident in both the high-achieving schools and its highly effective principals: strong people skills, and the ability to create and implement programs that affect a group who have been prejudicially described as low-income and low-performing. The participants&rsquo; lived experiences as charter school leaders who work with underserved communities add to a very limited body of research of urban education and how charter schools bridge the proverbial academic achievement gap.</p><p>

<p> This applied dissertation was designed to provide insight into aligning secondary benchmarks in a high school curriculum across content areas to prevent students from failing reading in a South Florida high school. Few studies have investigated the effects of the alignment of secondary benchmarks across content areas. The study focuses on a case study design for data collection to reveal its analysis. The researcher utilizes content analyses and a panel of experts in the field of education to review the protocol and review the assessments, using open-ended interview protocol procedures on more than 13 teachers. The teachers&rsquo; positions can be found within the administration, reading department, and content areas teachers of instruction in mathematics, science, English/language arts, physical education, and business education to investigate changes in instructional alignment with secondary standards. The data analysis revealed nine themes that enhanced the researcher&rsquo;s understanding of specific details that will ensure methods to improve students&rsquo; needs.</p><p> This qualitative research study provided an awareness to adequately support useful provision to educate students on different levels of reading. This increases their knowledge acquisition, which brings awareness to their utilization of secondary benchmark standards. The research concluded that teacher training included, professional development day among participants that were congruent with the themes revealed within the data analysis. The instructional alignment between reading teachers and content area teachers indicates that alignment in Grades 9 to 12 will increase if the alignment of standards is supported and if the implications for developing a better curriculum design is discussed.</p><p>

<p>An increasing number of parents are opting-out their children from high-stakes. Accountability systems in education have used students? test scores to measure student learning, teacher effectiveness, and school district performance. Students who are opted-out of high-stakes tests are not being evaluated by the state tests, making their level of achievement or proficiency unknown by the state government. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the various reasons, factors, experiences, and personal events that led parents to opt-out their children from at least one 3rd through 8th grade high-stakes test. Data were collected using a researcher-designed semi-structured interview protocol developed using ecological approaches to systems theories and critical pedagogy theories. The study was set in New York and 10 participants were interviewed, all from different rural or small suburban school districts throughout the state. Five themes and 12 subthemes emerged from first and second cycle coding. Key findings indicated that parents decided to opt-out their children from high-stakes tests because they felt high-stakes were inappropriate and unfair. Further, parents were dissatisfied with current high-stakes testing practices. Previous 3rd through 8th grade testing procedures that allowed teachers to make and grade the state tests were seen as acceptable. Parents indicated no issue with testing. However, from a social change perspective they felt the current system of high stakes testing was used improperly to rate students, teachers, programs, and school districts, and that testing should be used to drive instruction and help struggling students. This study is beneficial for school personnel and policy makers because it provides different ways to assess student achievement.

<p> This study explored the relationship between a National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) College Readiness Program (CRP) Grant and student achievement outcomes in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and on AP Exams in four Alaska high schools. A logistic regression model returned the odds of students obtaining an A or B versus a C, D, or F in an AP course, and earning a passing score versus a failing score on the exam. The results indicate there are more frequent significant differences in exam scores than in course grades based on the independent variables in the regression model. Free-and-reduced lunch (FRL) status and a school&rsquo;s location were the most frequent predictors, followed by gender, grant status, and ethnicity. The lack of difference in AP course grades suggests that non-White, female students receiving FRL, attending an urban high school with the grant may be able to achieve at levels comparable to their more advantaged peers. Furthermore, the percent growth in exam pass rate at the grant schools in the study was higher than the non-grant schools and similar to other state-level studies of the NMSI CRP grant. Beyond the consistent increases in exam pass rate at grant schools, enrollment also grew by 13% for underrepresented students at the urban grant school and by 6% at the suburban grant school. These results can be understood in context of Bioecological Systems Theory, which posits that individuals who experience interactions that underlie development in one environment, which they have not routinely experienced in other environments, will show greater development. In light of this study, this means underserved students may be able to close to the achievement gap to their more affluent peers if they have the necessary academic support. As a result, this study supports reducing barriers to advanced course enrollment, and creating systems to extend time for classroom instruction and teacher professional development.</p><p>

abstract: ABSTRACT This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of curriculum-based measures (CBMs) on the math achievement of first and second grade English Language Learners (ELL). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 led to a new educational reform, which identifies and provides services to students in need of academic support based on English language proficiency. Students are from certain demographics: minorities, low-income families, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency. NCLB intended to lead as to improvement in the quality of the United States educational system. Four classes from the community of Kayenta, Arizona in the Navajo Nation were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, one each per grade. All four classes used the state-approved, core math curriculum, but one class in each grade was provided with weekly CBMs for an entire school year that included sample questions developed from the Arizona Department of Education performance standards. The CBMs contained at least one question from each of the five math strands: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data and probability. The NorthWest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) served as the pretest and posttest for all four groups. The SAT 10 (RIT scores) math test, administered near the time of the pretest, served as the covariate in the analysis. Two analysis of covariance tests revealed no statistically significant treatment effects, subject gender effects, or interactions for either Grade 1 or Grade 2. Achievement levels were relatively constant across both genders and the two grade levels. Despite increasing emphasis on assessment and accountability, the achievement gaps between these subpopulations and the general population of students continues to widen. It appears that other variables are responsible for the different achievement levels found among students. Researchers have found that teachers with math certification, degrees related to math, and advanced course work in math leads to improved math performance over students of teachers who lack those qualifications. The design of the current study did not permit analyses of teacher or school effects. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2014

abstract: Technology in the modern day has ensured that learning of skills and behavior may be both widely disseminated and cheaply available. An example of this is the concept of virtual reality (VR) training. Virtual Reality training ensures that learning can be provided often, in a safe simulated setting, and it may be delivered in a manner that makes it engaging while negating the need to purchase special equipment. This thesis presents a case study in the form of a time critical, team based medical scenario known as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). A framework and methodology associated with the design of a VR trainer for ACLS is detailed. In addition, in order to potentially provide an engaging experience, the simulator was designed to incorporate immersive elements and a multimodal interface (haptic, visual, and auditory). A study was conducted to test two primary hypotheses namely: a meaningful transfer of skill is achieved from virtual reality training to real world mock codes and the presence of immersive components in virtual reality leads to an increase in the performance gained. The participant pool consisted of 54 clinicians divided into 9 teams of 6 members each. The teams were categorized into three treatment groups: immersive VR (3 teams), minimally immersive VR (3 teams), and control (3 teams). The study was conducted in 4 phases from a real world mock code pretest to assess baselines to a 30 minute VR training session culminating in a final mock code to assess the performance change from the baseline. The minimally immersive team was treated as control for the immersive components. The teams were graded, in both VR and mock code sessions, using the evaluation metric used in real world mock codes. The study revealed that the immersive VR groups saw greater performance gain from pretest to posttest than the minimally immersive and control groups in case of the VFib/VTach scenario (~20% to ~5%). Also the immersive VR groups had a greater performance gain than the minimally immersive groups from the first to the final session of VFib/VTach (29% to -13%) and PEA (27% to 15%). / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Computer Science 2012