<p> The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe, analyze, and interpret a comparison of assistant superintendents&rsquo; perceptions of the impact of classroom walk-throughs as a model of teacher development designed to monitor and improve instructional practices in 12 school districts in Connecticut. A major focus of this study is whether the practice of classroom walkthroughs have an impact on with improving instructional practices. According to Marshall (2012a), &ldquo;Classroom observations, student achievement, and feedback from students are important, but they&rsquo;ll only improve education if they&rsquo;re used wisely&rdquo; (p. 50). This research study is informed by a comprehensive review of the literature related to teacher evaluation models, including the practice of classroom walk-throughs, brief visits, and instructional rounds, prior to interviewing assistant superintendents about their perceptions of the impact that classroom walkthroughs have on improving instructional practice. Marshall (2012c) indicates that &ldquo;In most schools, by contact or by tradition, administrators give advance notice of their formal observations and teachers quite understandably take their performance up a notch or two&rdquo; (p. 19). There are social and professional implications of this inquiry-based research that need to be considered. A social implication is the relationship to teacher acceptance behavior of the implementation of classroom walk-throughs that could change school culture. Professionally, relationships between and among teachers and building administrators could become stronger in terms of creating a professional learning community. Conversely, there could be resistance to the change process that impacts potential positive results. Conducting a phenomenological study through a carefully designed methodology will result in qualitative reflection and findings that will support the assistant superintendent subjects as they examine the impact of individual walkthrough models on improving instructional practices.</p>

<p> This study examined the role of course engagement in college student success, especially for students who have multiple life commitments and few social supports. Building on previous measurement work and based in self-determination theory, the study was organized in five steps. Relying on information provided by 860 undergraduates from 12 upper and lower division Psychology classes, the first step was to improve the measurement of course engagement, by mapping the increased complexity found in self-reports of college students (by incorporating items capturing engagement in &ldquo;out-of-classroom" activities and general orientation, to standard items tapping classroom engaged and disaffected behavior and emotion). 12 items were selected to create a brief assessment covering the conceptual scope of this multidimensional construct; its performance was compared to the full scale and found to be nearly identical. </p><p> Second, the assessment was validated by examining the functioning of course engagement within the classroom model: As predicted, engagement was linked to proposed contextual and personal antecedents as well as course performance, and fully or partially mediated the effects of both context and self-perceptions on actual class grades; findings also indicated the importance of including a marker of perceived course difficulty. Third, the university level model was examined, which postulated key predictors of students&rsquo; overall academic performance and persistence toward graduation. Unexpectedly, academic identity was found to be the primary driver of persistence and the sole predictor of GPA; moreover, it mediated the effects of learning experiences and course engagement on both outcomes.</p><p> The fourth and most important step was to integrate the classroom and university models through course engagement, to examine whether students&rsquo; daily engagement predicted their overall performance and persistence at the university level. As expected, course engagement indeed showed a significant indirect effect (through academic identity) on both success outcomes, and these effects were maintained, even when controlling for the effects of university supports. Finally, student circumstances were added to the integrated model, specifically focusing on whether course engagement buffered cumulative non-academic demands on performance and persistence. Although unexpected, most interesting was the marginal interaction revealing that students whose lives were higher in non-academic demands showed the highest levels of persistence when their course engagement was high (and were the least likely to return next term when their engagement was low). Future measurement work and longitudinal studies are suggested to examine how course engagement cumulatively shapes academic identity, especially for students with differentiated profiles of non-academic demands and supports. Implications of findings are discussed for improving student engagement and success, and for using the brief assessment of course engagement as a tool for instructor professional development, and as part of threshold scores that serve as early warning signs for drop-out and trigger timely and targeted interventions.</p>

<p> Educating children is a costly endeavor; however, when children with special needs enter kindergarten unprepared emotionally, socially, or academically, the increased costs and support systems have to be absorbed by the schools and communities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference between the academic achievement of students participating in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) compared to students without ECSE services with DIAL-3 scores ranked in the 20^th percentile or below. Achievement scores for second and third graders in one urban school district were utilized to compare the scores of ECSE and non-ECSE students. The sample included the TerraNova and Performance Series assessment scaled scores of 30 ECSE students and 30 non-ECSE students for a total of 60 students from academic years 2008 to 2012 from the participating school district. A stratified sampling was utilized within the two groups of students' assessment scores. Standard calculations included means, standard deviations, and a <i> t</i>-test. When comparing the second grade achievement scores, ECSE students had statistically significant gains on the overall scaled scores than the non-ECSE students. When comparing the third grade Performance Series reading, language arts, and math scaled scores of the ECSE students to the non-ECSE students, the ECSE students had statistically higher achievement scaled scores compared to the non-ECSE students. When comparing the third grade Performance Series reading and language arts standard item pool scores of the ECSE students to the non-ECSE students, the ECSE students had statistically higher achievement standard item pool compared to the non-ECSE students. The Performance Series standard item pool scores were not statistically significant between the two groups.</p>

<p> Teachers may benefit more from a professional learning community (PLC) than from professional development initiatives presented in single day workshops. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to identify characteristics of an effective PLC and to determine how the members of the PLC have benefitted from the program. Fullan's educational change theory provided the framework for the study, which refers to learning experiences of teachers when collaborating with peers. The sample consisted of 9 biology teachers during the 2012-2013 school year. Data were collected through online surveys and face-to-face interviews regarding effective PLCs. The online survey questions were asked to identify the characteristics of PLCs. Interviews were conducted to examine how biology teachers benefited from PLCs. Survey data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis for emergent themes. According to study findings, PLCs are used for shared teaching vision and practices. Sustained use of PLCs in schools could help create supportive professional learning environments for teachers to improve their teaching practices through purposeful collaboration.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of principal and school characteristics on principal mean ratings of teachers using the North Carolina teacher evaluation instrument. A review of recent literature identified principal, teacher, evaluation process, and school characteristics possibly influencing principal ratings of teachers, but the studies found explicitly addressing these relationships focused specifically on the relationship between principal ratings and teacher effectiveness as measured by value-added data. A series of simple and multiple regression tests were used in this study to examine the influence of principal characteristics and school characteristics on the distribution of principal ratings for Standards 1 through 5 of the North Carolina evaluation instrument. The predictor variables were principal years' experience as a principal, principal implicit person theory, principal number of dominant leadership orientation frames, school grade span, and school growth status. Principal years' experience as an administrator and teacher were also collected. Exploratory variables included were school Title I status, teacher turnover rate, and the percent of teachers with less than three years' experience. </p><p> To evaluate the influence of principal and school characteristics, a stratified, proportional sample of 399 principals were invited to participate in an online survey. Only 73 principals responded with only 68 of the responses meeting the criteria of completion to be used in the study. Principal years' experience as an administrator, school teacher turnover rate, and school percent of teachers with less than three years' experience significantly influenced principal mean ratings of teachers. The more years' experience as an administrator, the higher the principal mean rating assigned. The higher teacher turnover rate and percent beginning teachers, the lower principal mean rating assigned. This was an exploratory study revealing further opportunities for study on the influence of factors other than teacher effectiveness influencing principal ratings.</p>

<p> The current obesity rates of our nation's youth continue to escalate at an alarming rate due to inactivity, poor nutrition, and lifestyle changes. The purpose of this research study was conducted to determine the effects of Missouri Senate Bill 291 on Missouri physical fitness scores as assessed by the <i>Missouri Physical Fitness Assessment.</i> </p><p> The state of Missouri adopted new physical activity requirements starting in the 2010-2011 school year. This study evaluated the impact of Missouri Senate Bill 291 on fifth and ninth grade physical fitness assessments. Eleven years of statewide data, were examined to determine the impact of the physical activity mandate. Quantitative data analysis revealed a significant improvement for all four fitness assessments for grades 5 and 9 since the passage of Missouri Senate Bill 291. Grade 9 indicated a statistical significant change in the flexibility assessment. Results suggested that Missouri Senate Bill 291 has had a positive impact on statewide physical fitness assessments. Despite this positive improvement, overall fitness of Missouri fifth and ninth graders is still a major concern due to approximately three out of ten students failing the <i>Missouri Physical Fitness Assessment.</i> </p><p> This study provided for the value of fitness data collection moving forward with improving youth health and wellness. Further research and recommendations are advised in order to study trends related to youth physical fitness. In conclusion, state education departments and school districts should consider the value of collecting and examining fitness scores to develop curriculum that promotes healthy lifestyles which can improve academic success.</p>

<p>The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the educator&rsquo;s perception of the optimal professional development experience. Research studies have concluded that the biggest indicator to predict student achievement is teacher effectiveness (Aaronson, Barrow, &amp; Sander, 2007; Marzano, 2003; Sanders &amp; Horn, 1998; Wong 2001). Guskey (2000) stated, &ldquo;Never before in the history of education has greater importance been attached to the professional development of educators&rdquo; (p. 3). School districts continue to face reduced budgets and continue to expend resources on professional development. In addition, states such as Indiana have recently changed their evaluation system to encourage more professional development at the school and district level. A survey was created to analyze educator perceptions of professional development in five Midwest states: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. The survey collected basic teacher demographic data: gender (male/female), licensure (elementary K&ndash;5, secondary 6&ndash;12), years of experience (0&ndash;5, 6&ndash;10, 11&ndash;15, 16&ndash;20, and 20 or more), and position type (teacher/principal). The survey consisted of 35 questions that focused on educator perceptions of professional development. In all, 396 educators from 18 school districts across five Midwest states responded to the survey instrument. A statistical analysis of the responses provided composite mean scores and standard deviations. A factorial ANOVA was used to test the first hypothesis. An independent samples t-test was used to test the second, fourth, and fifth hypotheses. A one-way ANOVA was used to test the third hypothesis. There was a significant difference between position type (teacher/principal) and licensure (elementary K&ndash;5, secondary 6&ndash;12) on their perceptions of professional development. Principals responded with a higher perception of professional development than teachers. Elementary licensure, K&ndash;5th grade teachers, also responded with a higher perception of professional development. There was no significant difference between gender (male/female) and years of experience (0&ndash;5, 6&ndash;10, 11&ndash;15, 16&ndash;20, and 20 or more). Educators responded that their perception of the most effective forms of professional development were having more time to work with colleagues (86.6%), using a professional learning community model (85.7%), and attending conferences and workshops (84.9%). In addition, educators had a higher perception of the effectiveness of professional development at the school level versus the district level. </p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1989. / Title from title page screen, viewed October 26, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Ronald Laymon (chair), Richard L. Berg, Larry D. Kennedy, Mary Ann Lynn, Ronald J. Yates. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-225) and abstract. Also available in print.

<p> Research indicated the transition from eighth grade into ninth grade can be a difficult time for students. His Grace High School (HGHS) ninth grade students illustrated this difficulty. The purpose of this study was to examine African American student and parent perceptions regarding the transition process into high school. Currently, all students and parents at HGHS participate in a two-part orientation session to prepare and acclimate to the new school community and learning environments. Orientation sessions are facilitated by predominately African American staff members; however, the premise of the session was developed and implemented by Caucasian staff and faculty. Furthermore, the manner in which the information is developed and shared with the African American students and parents does not consider or address the cultural needs of African American parents and students. Critical Race Theory, CRT, was used to measure inequality in education. According to Hiraldo (1994) scholars have used CRT as a framework to analyze and critique educational research and practices. Critical Race Theory attempts to address the cultural needs and disparities of minority students when compared to students of the dominant race. </p><p> The research questions provided additional information about the transition process and how the administration, faculty, staff, and school community can develop and implement a transition program that will assist both students and parents transitioning into HGHS. A qualitative analysis of the current transition process was conducted. Current freshmen students and parents completed surveys and participated in interviews about their experience with the transition process at HGHS.</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>