Educational reform is vital to meet the educational, social, and personal needs of an ever-changing student population. Many attempts at educational reform have been made over the past century. A number of reforms were originated and directed by policy at the Federal, State and regional levels, and others were developed at the district or school level. Demands for educational change are ever-present, and the acceptance of or resistance to change continues to be a topic of discussion and focus of research. The purpose of this study was to understand change in the implementation of small learning communities (SLCs) at a single high school by examining six years of grade level SLC meeting minutes to explore how the implementation of SLCs influenced teacher collegiality, student-teacher relationships, and instructional practices related to improving student academic outcomes. The primary research question was: How do teachers at a high school focus their efforts to improve student achievement through SLC reform? Three sub-questions guided exploration of the primary question: 1. In what ways did teachers discuss teacher collegiality in their SLC meetings? 2. In what ways did teachers discuss teacher-student relationships in their SLC meetings? 3. In what ways did teachers discuss instructional strategies and practices to improve student academic performance in their SLC meetings? The literature review for this study included an overview of the historical perspective on educational change and reform. As a school-based practitioner, the researcher experienced educational change more locally than globally, so various forms of local organizational change were examined, including charter schools, school-within-a-school, and SLCs. More specifically, literature was explored in relation to SLCs and their influence on collegiality, relationships, and improved student academic performance. This was a case study examining one depository of documents. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine the SLC meeting minutes, in relation to three categories of review: teacher collegiality, teacher-student relationships, and instructional strategies and practices. How a reform gets implemented through ordinary, everyday practices is not always clear. In the case school it was expected that teachers would meet regularly in their SLCs, talk about their students and their instructional practices, and make decisions about what is best practice to support student academic success. Teachers’ reactions to the District’s announcements of the implementation of other reform initiatives on top of the SLC initiative were often less than supportive. Conversations that gained momentum in SLC meetings might be side-stepped or delayed as teachers worked through the implications of a new District initiative, thus delaying the implementation of the SLC model. Initially, it appeared that the three major themes – teacher collegiality, teacher-student relationships, and instructional practices – would drive the process, dialogue, and decisions of the SLCs. Findings of the study suggest that the process, dialogue, and decisions of the SLCs shaped the three major themes and their interactions, providing greater insight into how all three themes resulted in teacher perspectives, decisions, and actions aimed at influencing student achievement. This study offered valuable insights into one aspect of implementation – the nature of the process, dialogue, and decisions that emerge in conversations in SLC meetings and their influence on teachers’ perspectives, decisions, and actions aimed at influencing student achievement.

This descriptive, correlational study investigated small learning community campuses‘ teachers‘ perceptions and traditional high school campuses‘ teachers‘ perceptions of eight factors as measured by the Cultural Awareness and Beliefs Inventory (CABI): (1) cultural awareness, (2) teacher beliefs, (3) school climate, (4) culturally responsive classroom management, (5) home and community support, (6) curriculum and instruction strategies, (7) cultural sensitivity, and (8) teacher efficacy. Further, the statistical differences between teachers‘ perceptions were explored as related to ethnicity and gender. The relationship between teachers‘ perceptions as measured by the CABI and student achievement as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Ninth Grade Reading Test was examined. The data were collected from eight secondary campuses in a large urban school district in the southwest United States: four small learning community campuses and four traditional high school campuses. This descriptive, correlational study of ninth grade teachers‘ perceptions of cultural awareness and beliefs yielded unexpected results when delineated by the campus group in which the teacher was employed. The data found statistically significant differences between Small Learning Community campuses‘ and Traditional High School campuses‘ teachers‘ perceptions of school climate by campus group, by ethnicity and campus group, and finally by gender and campus group. Two additional factors of the CABI reported statistically significant difference when delineated by ethnicity: cultural awareness and teacher efficacy. The relationships between teachers‘ perceptions of the eight factors and the TAKS for ninth grade reading reported negative correlations for the small learning campus groups‘ teachers and a mixed results for the traditional high school campus groups‘ teachers with five negative correlations and three positive correlations for HCS, CI, and CS. In the final analysis, these results countered the expected responses given the research on small learning communities.

The purpose of this study was to compare 9th grade student achievement in Tennessee schools the year before and after the schools implemented a freshman academy, as well as compare such schools with traditional Tennessee high schools. The factors in this study that impact student achievement and serve as the dependent variables were attendance rates, number of credits earned, and suspensions for 9th graders. Data were obtained by various software programs used by the schools to enter, maintain, and retrieve student data. 2 x 2 ANOVAs were conducted to determine if there were differences in the mean attendance rates and mean number of credits earned among 9th graders based on the type of institution, the academic years prior to and following the implementation of the freshman academy approach, and the 2-way interaction between the type of institution and the academic year. Crosstabulated tables and chi-square tests were used to determine if there was a relationship between suspensions prior to the academic year the Freshman Academy was implemented and the academic year following its implementation. The 2 x 2 ANOVAs conducted using Freshman Academy A and Traditional High School C indicated there was a significant difference in mean attendance rates and mean number of credits earned. Mean attendance rates and mean number of credits earned were higher at Freshman Academy A once the academy approach was implemented. The 2 x 2 ANOVAs conducted using Freshman Academy B and Traditional High School D indicated there was no significant difference in mean attendance rates and mean number of credits earned once the academy approach was implemented. Two-by-two crosstabulated tables and chi-square tests were used to determine if there was a relationship between suspensions at the Freshman Academy high schools (A & B) for years prior to and following implementation of the academy approach. The analysis of the data indicated there was a significant difference in the number of students suspended following the implementation of the academy approach at Freshman Academy A but not at Freshman Academy B.

The purpose of this study was to compare the student achievement prior to and after the implementation of a freshman academy at one school in East Tennessee. The researcher used student data from the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I. The failure rate of freshman prior to and after the implementation of the Freshman Academy was examined. The data were analyzed using a chi square statistical analysis. A significant difference was observed in the end of course exam scores for Algebra I and English I after the implementation of the Freshman Academy. Qualitative data examined for this study were interviews with administrators and teachers discussing the implementation process of the Freshman Academy. The quantitative findings revealed that students who attended the Freshman Academy had increased achievement on the end of course exam for Algebra I and English I. The failure rates for the freshman who attended the Freshman Academy revealed there was a decrease. The qualitative findings revealed that the administrators and teachers were concerned with the isolation of the freshman at the academy. Isolating the freshman to allow for maturity and to allow for the fostering of the sense of community was essential, but this decreases the positive interaction with the upper classmen.

Leading through change is a difficult process. School leaders who hope to create meaningful, long-term change must be cognizant of numerous factors. This study was undertaken with the hope of increasing educational leaders' awareness of how their decisions are viewed by those who follow them. Case studies revealed pertinent data within two schools that have undertaken a significant change initiative. All 2007 and 2008 Small Learning Communities (SLC) grant-recipient schools in Florida were invited to participate in a series of case studies. Participating principals were questioned about their perceptions of how they fulfill their change leadership role related to the seven factor of second-order change, as identified by Marzano, Waters, and McNulty (2005). Teachers were questioned about their perceptions of the principal's performance in leading the new initiative by the same seven factors. Principal and teacher scores were then compared for each school to identify potential differences in perceptions related change implementation and the seven factors. Although the data cannot be generalized, statistical analyses did reveal significant differences in perceptions of between principals and teachers in each of the two participating schools. In Study 1, these differences existed in Knowledge of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; Optimizer; Flexibility; and Ideals/Beliefs. In Study 2, differences were identified in the same areas as in Study 1, but in Intellectual Stimulation and Monitoring/Evaluating as well. Differences in teacher perceptions across the schools were identified in Knowledge of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; and in Intellectual Stimulation.

The purpose of this study was to identify student progress during the 9th grade year by evaluating student data prior to and after the implementation of a 9th grade academy in 2 east Tennessee high schools. The testing variables included the number of core credits earned, the number of elective credits earned, number of absences, and grade point average. Grouping variables included all 9th grade students and 9th grade students by gender prior to and after implementation of the 9th grade academy. Data were collected over 5 years (2005-2010). Paired-samples t-tests were used to make comparisons prior to and after the implementation of the 9th grade academy for each variable for the high schools. Independent-samples t-tests were used to make additional comparisons between gender on each variable prior to and after implementation of the 9th grade academy. An additional analysis was conducted to determine how many 9th grade students were enrolled in basic math or Algebra I prior to and after the implementation of the 9th grade academy. Based on the findings of this study, more core and elective credits were earned after the implementation of the 9th grade academy, but there was very little difference in GPA. Number of absences improved in 1 school after the implementation of the 9th grade academy and not in the other school. Additionally, there was little positive impact in Algebra I credits earned after the implementation of the 9th grade academy.

High dropout rates for minority students require additional educational research to understand and implement changes that will increase graduation rates. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine factors that may be associated with graduation for Latino male students. Guided by Tinto's work, which holds that students remain in school when they feel academically or socially connected to an institution, this study addressed the impact of social factors, academic factors, and small learning communities (SLCs) on graduation rates. The research study used archival data and bivariate logistic regression to analyze the data for Latino male participants (n = 208) at an urban southern California high school. Results indicated that grade-point average (GPA), the number of suspensions, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) may be significant factors associated with graduation rates of the Latino male students. Implications for social change include an increase in support for programs such as AVID, a greater number of tutoring and mentoring programs to help students increase their GPA, and school policies that address discipline without increasing the number of suspensions. Students benefit most from obtaining a high school diploma. Graduation can assist students to have more opportunities in their own lives. Increasing student-graduation rates increases self-reliance and the ability for students to contribute to their own communities.

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One purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of students who were part of a 9th grade academy during their freshman year with outcomes of students who were not part of a 9th grade academy during their freshman year. Student outcomes are defined for this study to include attendance, promotion rate to 10th grade on time, in-school suspension assignments, Algebra I End-of-Course exam scores, and English I End-of-Course exam scores. The second purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of 10th grade students who were part of a 9th grade academy during their freshman year with outcomes of 10th grade students who were not part of a 9th grade academy during their freshman year. 10th grade student outcomes are defined for this study to include attendance, promotion rate to 11th grade on time, and in-school suspension assignments. Data were collected from a high school located in Western North Carolina over a period of 4 years (2007 - 2011). Independent samples t-tests and one-way Chi Square analyses were used to make comparisons for each outcome of the study. Based on the findings of this study, the promotion rate of 9th grade students to 10th grade on time increased after the implementation of the 9th grade academy. In-school suspension assignments for 10th grade students who were part of a 9th grade academy during their freshman year were also less when compared to those of 10th grade students who were not part of a 9th grade academy. Ninth and 10th grade students who were part of a 9th grade academy tended to have more absences than 9th and 10th grade students who were not part of a 9th grade academy. Little difference was found in the other outcomes of the study.

The purpose of this study is to describe the difference in the academic achievement of urban Hispanic high school students based on the small learning community theme. The study used a quantitative method of ex post facto research to examine how the academic achievement of Hispanic high school students differs across the themes of small learning communities. One way, non directional analysis of variances were calculated comparing each of the five themes, which are: Arts, Music & Entertainment, Business & Information Technology, Health, Human & Public Services, and Engineering & Industrial Technology, and Algebra I and English Language Arts tests of the California Standards Tests to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of Hispanic high school students and enrollment in a specific Small Learning Community theme. Passing rates on the California High School Exit Exam were examined, analyzed, and compared, by grade level, for each of the small learning community themes. In addition, graduation and dropout rates were considered. Even though there was evidence to suggest that there was a difference in some of the data analyzed, none of the actual numbers showed much variation. Although smaller number of student groupings in high schools supports the success of Hispanic students, distinct themes do not seem to be a contributing factor.