This six week study investigated six urban elementary teachers educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing, comparing their personal histories as writers with their self-reported beliefs on writing and teaching writing, with that of their teacher practices. A further analysis examined how closely aligned their teacher practices were to research-validated practices. During this ethnographic case study, three questions were explored. These questions were: (a) How do teachers personal histories with writing inform their beliefs regarding writing in general, as well as their beliefs on teaching writing?, (b) How do teachers educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing inform their instructional decisions?, and (c) What impact do teachers personal histories with writing and their educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing have on how closely aligned their teacher practices are to research-validated practices? The participants in this study were six primary grade teachers, a first, second, and third grade teacher respectively, from two Title 1 schools in neighboring school districts. This ethnographic case study followed the Developmental Research Sequence Method, an ethnographic method of analysis designed by James Spradley (1980), in his book The Participant Observer. The data collected included written autobiographies concerning the teachers histories as writers, interviews, and classroom observations. There was evidence to suggest that teachers histories with writing informed some general held beliefs regarding writing, as well as beliefs regarding teaching writing. There was an indication that the histories and beliefs then informed the teachers instructional decisions in the classroom and how closely aligned those practices were to current, research-validated practices.

The purpose of this study was to assess algebra and geometric prerequisites skills as incorporated into the Applied Calculus Optimization Problem (ACOP) solution. The difficulties that students encounter in applying algebraic and geometric prerequisites at the early stages of the ACOP solution were identified. The study analyzes errors related to variables and equations (i.e. algebraic symbol/transformation skills), drawing of geometric diagrams (visualization skills) and those associated with application of basic differentiation concepts into ACOP solution process. The studys goals were addressed as seven specific research questions further subdivided into three main parts: the first four research questions investigated prerequisite algebraic and geometric skills, while question five examined the ability to use some or all of the prerequisite skills to obtain the required ACOP model. Question six is concerned with how some prerequisite (differentiation) skills are use in ACOP solution process. Finally, question seven looked into students ability to fully bring into play all the prerequisite skills into ACOP solution process. Furthermore, each of the seven research questions was split into quantitative and qualitative parts. The quantitative data were collected using a test instrument; and a follow up interview was conducted to collect qualitative data. These qualitative data were used to supplement, support and illuminate results from the quantitative components. The target sample is freshmen students taking calculus I in the department of mathematics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Overall, the study has revealed that students have achieved a very low success rate on ACOP, immediately following instruction on ACOP solving in their calculus I class. In general, they failed to integrate the basic competences required in ACOP solution. Qualitative evidence from students test performance indicated that failure to visualize geometric diagrams from word problems tendered to preclude getting the required formula. More generally, failure in at least one competence lead to collapse in another, and hence the whole breakdown of the ACOP solution process. The overall finding of the research was that students generally failed in integrating the independent algebraic and geometric competences; in cases where integration occurred, students face structural and procedural setbacks that ultimately led to a weakening of the ACOP solution process.

The purpose of this study was to discover the types of conduct processes that are being utilized when fraternities and sororities violate alcohol, hazing, and other policies at four-year universities. Many negative issues have been tied to Greek letter organizations and have become a national concern, such as hazing, alcohol consumption, and other types of risky behavior (Bruce & Keller, 2007). Research on the type of processes being used by universities is needed in order to analyze current practices and whether there needs to be a change in conduct processes. A survey instrument was developed by the researcher and sent out via e-mail to 797 university administrators, of which 260 responded. The study was sent to institutions that did not recognize fraternities and sororities and those participants were not included in the research. Out of those that responded, the researcher was able to use 201 total respondents for this study. University administrators reported the conduct process that is most often utilized by institutions for hazing violations by fraternities and sororities was the College/University Conduct Board involving faculty, staff, and students. Addressing alcohol and other violations by fraternities and sororities, institutions most often utilized the Administrative Conduct Hearing (single administrator involved) to address these concerns. Based on the results of this research, it was determined that most institutions utilize the same conduct process for general student organizations and individual students as fraternities and sororities. Implications for this research include a need for universities to analyze whether current processes are achieving desired outcomes and goals. University conduct processes also need to look at ways in which they can begin to incorporate additional stakeholders, to include headquarters, local alumni, and chapter leaders. It was determined that further inquiry is needed on this topic to include qualitative research. Now that we know what type of conduct processes are being utilized, researchers need to determine why certain differences occur in conduct processes depending on different demographics of the institutions and whether desired outcomes or goals are being achieved.

The African American literacy crisis has been well documented. Many researchers have sought to find a remedy for the disparity in literacy rates between African American readers and white American. This study explores the potential role of young adult literature (YAL) in this crisis. More specifically, this study examines the recognition that African American works receive in contemporary YAL. This study also investigates the African American experiences represented in those works receiving national recognition. A list of fifty-one books was compiled from the winners (2000-present) of national awards such as Michael L. Printz award and the Coretta Scott King Book Award. This list was subsequently categorized based on such characteristics as genre and characters represented. These works were then closely scrutinized to determine the scope of the African American characters represented in these award winning novels. After completing a close examination of these works it became evident that very few African American works have received national recognition. Teachers and parents alike look to these lists for classroom worthy texts. If very few African American works receive these prestigious recognitions then it a reasonable assertion that very few African American works are being taught in the classroom. Although the current research calls for cultural relevance as a means of combating the literacy deficit for African Americans, cultural relevance is difficult to achieve because of the lack of African American YAL. Of those works recognized, the African American experiences represented in these works were overwhelmingly urban in nature. This study is a part of a growing body of research on African American literacy and YAL.

Precollege-to-college outreach is abundant, with programs established on college campuses throughout the nation. Precollege programs provide students with knowledge pertinent to academic success and successful transitions between educational systems. The programs are also viable options in the effort to overcome disadvantage and disparity, and may best serve students who are considered underserved, and who encounter a multitude of barriers that inhibit their pursuit of a college education. A mixed-method, case study methodology was used to explore the perceptions of students who participated in two university precollege engineering programs. The findings of this study suggest that well defined and organized outreach efforts, with clear agendas and objectives, are perceived by participants as beneficial to their academic persistence and successful socialization into postsecondary environments. The findings also suggest that precollege programming may better serve students who are considered underserved, rather than students who have a precedent of exhibiting academically successful behaviors.

Curriculum integration, while a commonly used educational term, remains a challenging concept to define and examine both in research and in classroom practice. Numerous types and definitions of curriculum integration exist in educational research, while, in comparison, teachers tend to focus on curriculum integration simply as a mixing of subject areas. To better understand curriculum integration in practice, this thesis details a case study that examines both teacher and student perspectives regarding a grade nine integrated unit on energy. Set in a public secondary school in Ontario, Canada, I comprehensively describe and analyze teacher understandings of, and challenges with, the implementation of an integrated unit, while also examining student perspectives and academic learning. My participants consisted of two high school teachers, a geography teacher and a science teacher, and their twenty-three students. Using data gathered from interviews before, during, and after the implementation of a 16-lesson unit, as well as observations throughout, I completed a case description and thematic analysis. My results illustrate the importance of examining why teachers choose to implement an integrated unit and the planning and scheduling challenges that exist. In addition, while the students in this study were academically successful, clarification is needed regarding whether student success can be linked to the integration of these two subjects or the types of activities these two teachers utilized.

Curriculum integration, while a commonly used educational term, remains a challenging concept to define and examine both in research and in classroom practice. Numerous types and definitions of curriculum integration exist in educational research, while, in comparison, teachers tend to focus on curriculum integration simply as a mixing of subject areas. To better understand curriculum integration in practice, this thesis details a case study that examines both teacher and student perspectives regarding a grade nine integrated unit on energy. Set in a public secondary school in Ontario, Canada, I comprehensively describe and analyze teacher understandings of, and challenges with, the implementation of an integrated unit, while also examining student perspectives and academic learning. My participants consisted of two high school teachers, a geography teacher and a science teacher, and their twenty-three students. Using data gathered from interviews before, during, and after the implementation of a 16-lesson unit, as well as observations throughout, I completed a case description and thematic analysis. My results illustrate the importance of examining why teachers choose to implement an integrated unit and the planning and scheduling challenges that exist. In addition, while the students in this study were academically successful, clarification is needed regarding whether student success can be linked to the integration of these two subjects or the types of activities these two teachers utilized.

This study is to examine if implementation of the universal level of PBS is related to student achievement on the LEAP and iLEAP examinations administered as part of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program. A second purpose is to examine whether identified student/ school characteristics contribute to any difference in academic performance. To address this question, it is necessary to take into consideration individual as well as school level factors that may act to facilitate or impede student achievement. Multilevel statistical models are ideally suited for research problems of this nature and will be the approach taken for this study. The present study sought to determine if a high level of implementation of PBIS at the school level had an impact on a students academic scores based on high stakes test scores. Across the state of Louisiana, a schools implementation level of PBIS did show evidence of change of a students high-stakes test score from 2007 to 2008. However, it did not show a change from 2008 to 2009. In both 2 year spans, a previous years academic test score and a schools percent of free and reduced lunch were both predictors in the model. In 2007-2008, a schools SET score was also a significant predictor in the model in all of the content areas, except for math. The findings from the multilevel model are consistent with other findings for the 3rd grade to 4th grade match. However, for the 4th to 5th grade match the absence of similar findings may reflect the fact that implementation scores were mandated at the state level for these years, which may have caused inflation in scores from each school. Even in the correlations, the 2008 scores were not statistically significant as the 2007 scores were found to be.

Mathematics education reform is informed by constructivist theories that forefront student learning of concepts, and by sociocultural theories whose focus is on students mastery of mathematical practices. As Cobb (1994) pointed out, these theorizations are inconsistent with one another, leading to conflict as some theorists seek to promote their approach as the correct one. Alternatively, Cobb, and many others in the social constructivism or the situated cognition camps, seek some sort of integration or balancing of these priorities in pedagogical theorizing. Kirshner (2002, 2004, 2008) argued that instead of either selecting one theory or balancing/coordinating the two theories, we should regard each theory as an independent basis for pedagogical practice, and articulate a separate genre of teaching for each. In that spirit, the current study sought to explore pedagogical methods directed exclusively to enculturating students into mathematical practices, particularly, practices of argumentation characteristic of mathematical proof. The researcher worked with a group of 11 average-ability students in the 11-12 age range, over 24, half-hour sessions. At first, students were called upon to discuss various basic geometric terms, and then to present arguments establishing the truth of 10 basic geometric theorems. Students worked together in groups to discuss the problems, and presented their proofs. All sessions were videotaped and transcribed, and each students arguments were coded for sophistication on a 4-level system based on the work of Lolli (2005) and Douek (2009). The results indicated that all students advanced in their level of sophistication, most moving from level 1 in which one understands that an explanation is required, but one does not understand the obligation for the explanation to be logically persuasive to level 3 in which one coordinates the elements of the argument in a way that is consistent with logically sound deductive reasoning. The qualitative analysis of interactional processes illustrates the influence of the groups level of discourse on individual development.

Explaining the complex nature of how leadership works within the school has proven difficult; consequently, many studies have shown little or no effects of leadership on student outcomes and school performance (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004). Furthermore, researchers acknowledge that a gap exists in the literature between explaining models of leadership and describing the effective actions of leadership (Grissom & Loeb, 2011; Kruger et al, 2007; Robinson, 2006; Robinson et al 2008; Waters, Marzano, & McNulty, 2004). Of the research that does link leadership practices to student outcomes and school performance, the assumed indicators of leadership effectiveness, in most cases the relationship was studied through indirect effects (Leithwood, Patten, & Jantzi, 2010). On the school front, restructuring options are being implemented for schools that fail to raise their test scores. Each of these options includes the opportunity for replacing the leadership and a number of the teachers in those schools. Specifically for Louisiana, the state in which this study was conducted, as of 2012, the state is seeing some gains, but thirty-six percent (36%) of Louisianas schools have received D or F (LDOE, 2012a). In addition, for 2012, forty-two additional schools received the grade F, an increase from 115 to 157 schools (LDOE, 2012a). As a result, Louisiana continues to implement sanctions in an attempt to improve school performance. The purpose of this study was to use case study methodology to explore the perceptions and practices of leadership in a Southern, urban middle school. Results supported the implementation of Distributed and Instructional Leadership practices. A major implication of this study is that it challenges the sanctions enforced by NCLB, by representing effective leadership in a struggling school, thereby raising questions of the appropriateness of holding principals responsible for school performance.