Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Education . University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2004. / "A dissertation in urban leadership and policy studies in education." Advisor: Bernard Oliver. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed Dec. 18, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-127). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Liberty University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rowan University, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

After school programs are important in the lives of many children and adolescents. In the past decade, a diverse range of programs have been offered by nonprofit agencies, city and county governments, schools, churches, and other community groups. In this qualitative study, research was conducted on the impact and influence of after school programs on female participants in diverse schools, with specific emphasis on Hispanic females. While multiculturalism has typically been applied to the regular school day curriculum, this study examines how students' diverse backgrounds have also been integrated into after school programming. The study was conducted on a large, multi-site after school program in the Central Florida area and interviews were conducted at one school. Three other program sites were also visited. Female participants, after school counselors, coordinators, and a director of the program were interviewed at one school to gain multiple perspectives in addition to the researcher's own participant observation experiences as a counselor. In general, the study found female participants are influenced positively by the after school program and, to a lesser extent, found the program aids the girls in making healthier decisions. Moreover, the study found the after school program evaluated incorporates the diverse cultures of the participants into clubs and activities.

Over the last three decades, the magnet school program has been employed as a desegregation tool to eliminate, reduce, or prevent minority group isolation in public schools in America. By definition, the magnet school program has three essential elements: a unified curriculum based on a special theme or method of instruction, enrollment of students beyond the geographic attendance zone, and student and parent choice. The impetus for magnet school programs emerged from debates covering busing, choice programs, educational quality, and racial balance. The early development of the magnet concept as a desegregation tool can be traced to judicial engagement of well-known court cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, 1954, where de jure segregation was ruled unconstitutional based on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. In the late 1970s, the federal government began to provide financial support for magnet school programs through the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA,1972) and established the Magnet Schools Assistance Program in 1984. Recent findings suggest that the magnet program may not be obtaining the desired results of eliminating, preventing, or reducing racial imbalances. Furthermore, it is believed that some districts receiving grants have little chance of reducing minority group isolation due to the limited pool of white students. This study was designed determine the extent of the reduction of minority group isolation in magnet school programs that received funding in the 1995 Magnet Schools Assistance Program. A survey instrument designed to gather enrollment information was mailed to the central office personnel who were responsible for the oversight of magnet school programs in sixty-four federally funded school districts. Findings of this study indicate that school districts with a significant population of minority students are unlikely to reduce minority group isolation using the Magnet Schools Assistance Program standard of at or no more than fifty percent minority enrollment in selected magnet programs even with financial assistance. Schools with high populations of minority students are unlikely to attract non-minority students. / Ed. D.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (January 14, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-75)

Thesis advisor: Irwin Blumer / Over the past decade, demands and expectations placed on after school programming have changed dramatically. In the new standards based culture of accountability, after school time is seen as an opportunity to provide additional time to learn and demonstrate learning to standards. Professional development opportunities offered has not kept pace with demands being placed on after school programs. After school programs must have protocols in place to evaluate and implement professional development plans in the most effective manner possible. This study was conducted to support programs with planning professional development by assessing the impact of prevalent forms of professional development available on teaching practice and perception. The research questions were: What are teachers' perceptions of how involvement in teaching a new science program affected teaching practice in the after school program? How do teachers' perceive the three models of professional development - intervention, self-initiated, and district directed - contributed to teacher learning? Data was collected in the form of journals, interviews and observations utilizing a pool of five teachers who implemented a new set of science classes during after school time. Findings included a positive increase in perceptions of practice and teacher learning. The level of increase was a function of accurately identifying teacher needs and mapping the best forms of professional development while taking into account teacher's learning/working style. The literature review stated clearly the impact of properly aligned professional development. It underscored the need for professional learning to take place in the context of a collaborative environment that supports teacher change. The study indicates that, irrespective of the form, professional development completed in the context of a collaborative learning community has the ability to create sustainable change. It is the collaborative discussion that serves as the basis for the ongoing professional development. Each form has a particular audience for whom the impact will be the most direct, however, professional development in any form will have an impact on teacher perception and practice. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2008. / Title from file title page. Jennifer Esposito, committee chair; Sheryl Gowen, Carolyn Furlow, Carlos McCray, Susan Ogletree, committee members. Electronic text (226 p. : col. ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed August 22, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-213).

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.