Fifty percent of all students who enroll in college depart before earning their degree; this proportion is even higher among minorities during the first year of college (Tinto, 2006). Minorities have typically had fewer opportunities to gain a college education. Once enrolled in college, minorities have generally found it more difficult to succeed academically and graduate (Strayhorn, 2011). There is one group among the collective of minorities that are even further behind the rest, African American males. African American males are one of the most underrepresented populations of students on college campuses around the nation (Feagin, Vera, & Imani, 1996). Relatively few Black men enroll in four-year colleges and universities (Cuyject, 2006); in fact, of the approximate 15 million undergraduate students in the United States, less than 5% are Black men (NCES, 2009). In response to the trends and challenges faced by Black men, the federal government, as well as higher education institutions, have invested considerable resources in the development and implementation of programs and services that are designed to provide the necessary academic and social support researchers have found to be integral to the success of students in college (Astin, 1993; Swail, Redd & Perna, 2003 and Tinto, 1993). One of the federal governments responses to this issue is the development of numerous pre-college programs. The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-college programs (i.e., Upward Bound, Talent Search & G.E.A.R. UP) are effective in realizing their goals for African American men, particularly as it relates to their college retention rates. Using the National Center for Education Statistics Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) guided by Tintos Student Attrition model, the researcher sought to determine: To what extent does participating in a pre-college program influence the first-year retention rates of African American males in college, controlling for differences in, background traits, academic preparedness and parental level of education? The findings from this study suggest that out of three federally funded pre-college programs Upward Bound, Talent Search and G.E.A.R. UP, only the Talent Search program has any impact on the retention rate of African American males in college.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the role of leadership in developing a culture of technology competence within a school. Additionally, because research identifies the significance instructional leadership has on school performance, as defined by student achievement, the study sought to examine the impact principal technology proficiency has on school performance. To examine the associations amongst variables regression analyses were conducted. Quantitative study was conducted with 150 school principals and their faculties. Results indicated a strong correlation between principals that were technologically proficient, as defined by the Louisiana Department of Educations Administrator Self-Assessment, and the percentage of teachers identified proficient, as defined by the Louisiana Department of Educations Teacher Self - Assessment. An additional quantitative measure was conducted to see the impact of principals, identified as instructional leaders by the Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-Ed), and the number of teachers identified proficient. VAL - Ed measured principals on a six by six scale that yielded data specific to the principals instructional leadership. The principals grades in LEADTech and scores on both the proficiency and VAL-Ed were used to determine the effect on teacher technology proficiency. Results of a teacher proficiency survey showed that the percentage of teachers scoring proficient is strongly associated with the proficiency of the principal.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover if a connection exists between oral fluency and silent fluency. Comprehension was used as the consistent measurement instrument for the study. Understanding how oral fluency transitions to silent fluency helps educators understand how to assist students with this process. Most reading done to acquire knowledge after the fourth grade is performed silently. Students need to be an effective silent reader to be successful in school. In addition, reading comprehension and most other parts of standardized testing is read silently by the student unless accommodations are put in place before testing. If a connection exists between oral fluency and silent fluency then instructional methods could be implemented to make both modes of reading equally successful. Also indicators that signal the teacher that the student is prepared to move to silent reading may be identified. Students reading eight grade level passages both orally and silently allowed data to be collected to determine if a connection was present for the two types of fluency. A slight connection between oral and silently was found, but was not strong enough to make blanket statements. Although data collected about prosody was strong enough to determine that if a student reads orally with prosody, their comprehension will be strong for both oral and silent reading. This study also used five different types of comprehension questions and it was determined that vocabulary questions were statistically more difficult to answer than the other four types of questions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of transforming traditional classroom content and teaching strategy into a "gamified" version through the use of popular gaming strategy, or, in other words, how a college course can be designed or redesigned to mimic ludic pedagogy, as well as the influence of this pedagogy on student performance in understanding course content and course assessments. The researcher acted as a participant observer and used Constant Comparative Method as data driven teaching focused on student created documents. This research provides an exploration on the use of ludicly styled teaching methodology which includes students as instructors, the instructor as a game master, and the impact of Achievments on student performance in an introductory Education survey course. Findings suggest that pre-service teachers of the Millennial generation may flourish in a gamified environment and need to engage in and experiment with using new styles of pedagogy in order to be prepared to teach their future Generation 2020 students.

Teachers who assign and grade writing sometimes use rubrics to assist in this process. A rubric usually consists of a set of rules, guidelines, or criteria that must be met for students to obtain a passing grade. Rubrics are intended to take the subjectivity out of grading writing and to give feedback to the student for further improvement. Because even English teachers disagree about the use of rubrics to grade writing, and the criteria that is most important within the rubrics, hearing from teachers in other subject areas could help all teachers better understand how to grade writing assignments. This case study examines teacher perspectives on the use of rubrics to grade student writing. Within one private K-12 school, teachers from grades K-12 in every subject area were asked for their opinions of the elements of good writing, their use of rubrics to grade writing, and the criteria they value in writing. Teachers at the high school level use rubrics and value elaboration and details, but expressed frustration with common mechanical errors in student writing.. This study was conducted in two parts the first at the high school, and the second at the elementary and middle schools. Findings indicate that elementary and middle school teachers, in general, characterized good writing as writing that is free of mechanical errors. These elementary and middle school teachers then collaborated, created, and implemented a rubric for assessing mechanics in student writing. In follow up interviews, students expressed some annoyance that every teacher was now grading their writing, but admit that they are now more careful to proofread their work. Hearing from teachers in other subject areas did help all teachers better understand how to assess writing assignments. Most agree that using a rubric is the best tool for grading student writing, and even worked together to address those common mechanical errors found across the curriculum in our students writing. This open communication and collaboration needs to extend to other critical areas of literacy.

The purpose of this research is to examine the dominant narrative of adolescence/juvenile delinquency and to question what makes this discourse possible. I use a poststructuralist perspective that thoroughly questions, dismantles, reveals, and analyzes this discourse in order to uncover hidden or obscure motives that shape how we understand adolescent individuals. Keeping in mind that everything is a construction, I investigate how the discourse works rather than what it means, and in the process I search for whether or not power or some type of oppression is involved. While conducting the interrogation and analysis procedure of the dominant narrative, I compare the term scarcity, which implies close-mindedness, manipulation, and control, and abundance, which implies open-mindedness, flexibility, and generosity, in terms of which the dominant narrative more clearly represents. As this ongoing analytical process takes place, I also consider the desirability and need to write a new narrative of adolescence/juvenile delinquency With qualitative research as the framework, I adopt a methodology grounded in narrative inquiry: open, flexible methodology promotes new understandings and different meanings. Narrative inquiry involves storiesit is a space for understanding experiences. This study inspects different types of stories: historical stories, stories related to the influence of constructed labels and identity formation, a story presented in poetic form of an individual who spent time in a juvenile prison, and my story; an autoethnography of my experience during the thirty-three years I worked in a juvenile prison. As the researcher, my endeavor is to develop greater self-understanding, a better understanding of others; to give voice to the stories of marginalized adolescent/juvenile delinquent population that are seldom heard; and to promote an expanded social awareness in readers that will help them develop more empathetic thinking. Having concluded that the dominant narrative of adolescence/juvenile delinquency is steeped in an attitude of scarcity, I suggest that a new narrative based on abundance is needed. This new narrative will not know the meaning of scarcity. It will only recognize the concept of caring and encourage positive relationships, an aura of plenty, open-mindedness, generosity, tolerance, understanding, forgiveness, and individual dignity.

Since environmental educations emergence in America, the field has been primarily focused on increasing environmental awareness, attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behavior. Yet the nations overall level of environmental literacy, especially with regard to the performance of environmentally responsible behaviors, continues to be low (Coyle, 2005). Unlike school-based education programs, which only reach a segment of the population, informal sites have the potential to influence learners of many ages and diverse backgrounds (NRC, 2009). Informal science learning environments (ISLEs) have been shown to provide personally meaningful learning experiences and have the potential to impact environmentally responsible decisions and actions (Falk, 2005). Yet models of behavior change which have been traditionally used in environmental education have not been entirely successful in informal environments. This exploratory case study attempted to discover which aspects of a museum exhibit might affect intended and actual environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs). Qualitative techniques were used to collect and analyze data from 31 highly engaged adult visitors to the Altered State: Climate Change in California exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. Certain messages and design elements in this exhibit were found to have a greater impact on participants intentions and behaviors. Hands-on activities appeared to have a larger effect, as did direct messages about specific, simple actions. Positive reinforcement of existing ERBs also seemed to have a direct influence on future actions. All participants voiced concerns about societal and cultural barriers to pro-environmental actions, but those who performed fewer ERBs were more likely to discuss belief-based barriers to change. These results have implications for future ISLE exhibits related to taking action for the environment.

Colleges and universities have first-year residential living learning programs that use academic and social programming to contribute to students academic success. While a variety of students choose to live in these living learning communities (LLCs), there is little research on the benefits derived by specific groups of students. Students who are classified as at-risk, including first generation and / or from families challenged by low income levels were targeted for this research. The engagement of these at-risk students participating in LLCs was the focus of this mixed methods study. The research questions addressed by this study were directed toward understanding how participation in LLCs effect the engagement of at-risk students and how students perceived the benefits of support opportunities. In addition, a comparison of the perceptions of students who lived in LLCs that were discipline-specific with those who lived in non-discipline specific LLCs was made. This mix methods study was retrospective in nature given that sophomore students were asked about their first year experiences and opportunities. Surveys about perceptions of student engagement were administered to at-risk students participating in LLCs and traditional residence halls (TRHs) followed up by individual and focus group interviews to gain deeper insights about their experiences. More positive perceptions were reported by at-risk students with respect to academic integration and institutional climate in LLCs compared with TRH students and more positive perceptions were reported by at-risk students with respect to academic integration in discipline specific LLCs compared with non-discipline specific LLCs. In addition, the study results revealed distinctive faculty-student interaction within discipline specific LLCs and beneficial support opportunities. These beneficial support opportunities included LLC faculty office hours, peer study groups, sponsored events, faculty supplemental instruction and tutoring, rector advising, and faculty discussion groups. Findings from this inquiry have the potential to contribute to theory, practice, policy, and future studies of learning communities in higher education. Recommendations were made by the researcher from the studys findings that included incorporating a second year LLC program, co-curricular programming for TRHs, and increased student exploration of their major field in non-discipline specific LLCs.

Begun in 2001, the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) was created by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) as a means of improving the leadership abilities of faculty, staff, and administrative personnel throughout the system, a grow your own leadership program (Leadership Development, 2006). LDI has evolved into a nine-month program of presentations, lectures, mentoring, self-exploration activities, and internships. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the impact of participation in LDI on the career and educational goals of former cohort members. Phase One of this research project, the qualitative portion of the study, was composed of individual interviews with 5% of located former LDI cohort members. The interviews were completed over the phone so as to allow for participation by former LDI participants located throughout the state of Louisiana. The qualitative portion of the research and a thorough review of the literature provided the basis for the Leadership Development Long-term Impact Survey (LDLIS) that was developed by the researcher. The second phase of the research, the quantitative phase, was the administration of the LDLIS to all identified LDI former cohort members. The survey results were tabulated and indicate that LDI participation does significantly impact the career goals of former cohort members. Although the results for educational goals were not significant, a positive impact was noted. The following information could be used to develop new or improve existing leadership programs for community college or university leaders.

All kinds of management issues in practical operation of organization would be confronted with human heart. Therefore, many methods in management have to take human heart into account and try to change behavior of mankind. However, only few attempts have so far made at spirit transformation in the field of business management. The purpose of this paper is to explore spirit transformation through FaLun Gong practitioner's experiencing and understanding process. This research, in its process, is conducted by hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, attempting to interpret the inner part of the practitioner's heart and their profoundly hidden meanings. All texts are collected from In-depth Inteviewing with a FaLun Gong practitioner and from autobiography of other three practitioner's. The result of the studying is that practitioners are able to be True, Good, Endure and to get rid of attachments gradually. From 99¡¦ the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) start to persecute the FaLun Gong practitioner, but the way of practitioners continue resisting persecutions peacefully embodies the spirit of True, Good, and Endurance. There are three conclusions to this section of the thesis: 1) Telling the truth to other persons with standing their ground embodies the spirit of True, Good, and Endurance. 2) The way of enlightening persons on humanity is charity. 3) Improving of character is firm , hence standing their ground is not out of an impulse. Furthermore, following four factors result spirit transformation are obtained: 1. Three factors of the law of Falun DaFa : (1) To direct at the human mind (2) The law of Dafa give practitioner power (3) To influence and reform people 2. Experiencing or feeling the truth of matter and mind are one and the same. 3. To point out wrong of certain persons and to make them realize it by warning. 4. Communication with practitioner. As hermeneutic circle, the exploration of this research is endless. Therefore, the worth of our study is not to obtain conclusions but to bring its meaning, that is, we ought to value character of the human mind is not vague and general because of the practitioner experience the matter and mind are one and the same.