Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this study was to pursue an investigation into educators’ perceptions of discipline in rural high schools. From the literature review it became clear that educators are of the view that most schools in the country lack effective discipline which has a negative effect on teaching and learning. Discipline in school is a prerequisite for order and harmony in schools and classrooms and successful teaching and learning. Discipline problems differ between schools, grades and classrooms. Schools in rural areas are characterized by a number of factors that negatively influence the delivery of quality education. Factors such as poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of teaching resources make it very difficult to create a stimulating teaching and learning environment. One of the consequences of such a deprived educational environment is lack of discipline. The purpose of effective discipline in schools is to create an atmosphere conducive to teaching and learning. Discipline in schools maintains order and learners discover the value and necessity of obeying realistic rules and accept responsibility for their behaviour. Discipline problems in school are caused by the disruptive behaviour of learners that affects the fundamental rights of other learners and educators to feel safe. The aim of discipline rules or a code of conduct for learners in schools is to establish an orderly and productive school environment committed to quality education. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire, to be completed by educators, was utilized. The completed questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings from the literature and empirical study and the following recommendations were made: • Good behaviour must be inculcated in learners by means of positive and constructive discipline in schools. • A code of conduct for learners must be enforced to regulate learners’ behaviour.

Survey responses from 76 public school districts in Mississippi and Alabama, tornado warning data, tornado path data, and county demographic data were used to investigate early dismissals in public schools. There was little agreement among survey responses and this inconsistency supports the idea that each situation is unique and one plan may not be successful for all districts. The highest number of reported dismissals would have resulted in a loss of less than 2% of the total annual class time. A higher number of recent killer tornadoes, a lower level of poverty, and a team rather than individual decision were the three most important variables in determining which districts would dismiss more often. The seven districts that reported not dismissing were all well below the national poverty average. Other important factors included smaller county area, higher number of killer tornadoes since 1950, and serving a county rather than city population.

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The development of strong teacher communities is an idea that has been promoted as a way to foster strong school communities and to raise student academic achievement. As part of the contemporary small schools reform movement, schoolswithin- schools are also cited as a way of increasing school-wide and teacher community through the increased social interactions due to the smaller school size. However, little dedicated research has been directed at this topic. In response to the lack of clarity on the subject, this study examined the change in teacher community at a high school during the initial stages of its efforts to implement a schools-within-schools model. The research questions that guided the inquiry were: 1) How did teachers describe the teacher community that existed in their school? What experiences of teachers appeared to shape these descriptions? 2) What were teachers’ goals and beliefs about teacher community? What experiences of teachers appeared to shape these goals and beliefs? and 3) What were teachers’ views of a change in teacher community following the school’s restructuring of its organization to one that follows a schools-within-schools model? Data came from three sources: interviews with 12 faculty members at the school, observations of faculty interactions, and school documents that provided a background context of meetings and school structure. Data collection and analysis was guided by the components of teacher community from Westheimer’s (1998) theoretical framework: interaction and participation; interdependence; shared interests and beliefs; concern for individual and minority views; and meaningful relationships. The results revealed that teachers’ perceptions of community changed from one defined by strong departmental relationships and limited interdepartmental connections to one characterized by incidental relationships, a lack of common goals, and isolation. The constant change in district and school policies and initiatives and the high teacher turnover were primary reasons for these outcomes. Teachers’ goals and beliefs were found to be strongly influenced by their assignment, or lack thereof, to an interdisciplinary team of teachers. Primary implications included: 1) restructuring attempts must be enacted intentionally, with teacher involvement in the process; and 2) teacher retention must be a focus in order to maintain continuity of communication and trust, and ultimately, professional collaboration. / text

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University. / It is the purpose of this objective study, primarily to contribute specifically to what is known relative to the factors which aided or impeded the school-district-reorganization process in Massachusetts from the passage of the regional-school law in 1949 to January 25, 1956, and, incidentally, to contribute in a general way to all the problem areas of school-district reorganization.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 22, 2010). Advisor: Natasha Levinson. Keywords: Urban education; private religious schools; Catholic schools; nonpublic schools; minority groups and education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 446-471).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-211).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Amanda Datnow.