<p> This study investigated the perspectives of four students and 6 parent participants of the Voluntary Student Transfer program, an inter-district desegregation program that involves transporting African American students from urban area schools to surrounding county schools. Due to limited and dated research related to the Voluntary Student Transfer (VST) program, the researcher employed a qualitative collective case study framework which included a semi-structured interview protocol and questionnaires to gather perceptual data of parent and student participants of the program. The collective case studies revealed that parent and student participants of the VST program were satisfied with the program overall had not considered discontinuing participation for any reason. Data analysis revealed common themes addressed by parents and students to support their perceptions about the VST program. These themes included quality of education, the importance of relationships, and parent activism. Busing and the distance from home was another combined theme that developed, presenting a drawback from program participation. Because the sample size of this study represents a small percentage of the participants in the VST program, further studies should be conducted to include more perspectives within the research district and other districts implementing the VST program. </p>

<p> In my study, I examined teacher perceptions of the factors that contribute to or work against the success of African American (Black) students in predominately White independent schools. I asked three questions and two subquestions:</p><p> 1. What do teachers observe across elementary, middle, and high school age groups that they perceive contributes to or works against the success of Black students?</p><p> 1a. How do teachers in a predominately White, independent school define success for their Black students?</p><p> 1b. Do teachers at different grade levels have different perceptions of Black student success?</p><p> 2. Is it possible to develop valid, reliable measure of teacher perceptions of independent school racial climate and Black student coping?</p><p> 3. Does a relationship exist between individual demographic factors of teachers and their perceptions of the success of Black students?</p><p> My study was conducted at three independent schools in New York City. Focus group interviews were conducted at each school with teachers and administrators who had 10 or more years of experience at their schools. Surveys with direct and open-ended questions were distributed to faculty, administrators, and staff of the three schools to explore perceptions of Black student success, racial climate, and Black student coping, and to determine whether a relationship existed among individual demographic factors and teacher perceptions of Black student success. I found four relationships:</p><p> 1. Participants perceived that, regardless of their grade level, Black students in their schools experienced similar forms of implicit and explicit racial bias that negatively affected their success; however, patterns emerged in the participants&rsquo; responses that demonstrated a higher level of concern for their elementary-age Black students compared to the students who entered in middle or high school.</p><p> 2. Participants identified <i>strong sense of self</i> and <i> sense of connection</i> as two core dimensions of success for all of their students, but identified knowing the &ldquo;rules of the private school game&rdquo; and having a strong support <i>network</i> early on as important success factors for Black students.</p><p> 3. It is possible to develop valid and reliable measures of teacher perceptions of racial climate and Black student coping.</p><p> 4. A significant relationship existed among teacher perceptions of Black student success and teachers&rsquo; race, years in current school, years in position, and school level taught.</p>

<p> This qualitative case study examined the engagement experiences of African American students in the COMPASS and PEACE Linked Learning certified pathways at Millikan High School in the Long Beach Unified School District. The study explores institution-controlled factors of the Linked Learning Pathways model that demonstrate positive influences over the African American achievement gap. Institution-controlled factors that positively influence equitable practices and access in concert with engaged student-controlled factors could potentially reduce the dropout rate. The long term benefits of Linked Learning could improve the quality of the workforce as well as reduce poverty, crime, and incarceration rates.</p><p> This case study consisted of 18 interviews: 1 0 with African American students in COMPASS and PEACE and 8 with adult staff members who had direct involvement with the students. The participants' voices illuminated five themes. First, having a robust desire to realize the dream in a certified pathway operationalized students' efforts. Second, quality curriculum and instruction fueled by strong philosophical belief is an institution-controlled factor that positively affects African American students' level of engagement specific to ethics, personal growth, and academic satisfaction. Third, critical race pedagogy is an instructional tool used by teachers who genuinely have passion for teaching disenfranchised students. Fourth, a focus on social justice means students engage in dialogue and activities around global and local issues that inspire them to act. Fifth, students' access and equity influence whether or not they feel welcomed and empowered to take the initiative to seek assistance. Together, these five themes weaved a picture of a supportive environment that promotes greater student satisfaction and enhances engagement.</p><p> The study is directly related to the state's high school reform efforts to improve the quality of the workforce and economic development. The measures of quality within a Linked Learning certified pathway were integral to this study and could significantly inform reform efforts and support strides toward closing the achievement gap. The program proposes to support all students, and Millikan demonstrated results with African American students are worthy of examination. This inquiry investigated Linked Learning Pathways' support of African American students, their perceptions, and lived experiences using the SELL conceptual framework. The SELL was informed by Appleton, Christenson, and Furlong's "Student Engagement with School: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Issues of the Construct," Tinto's "Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research" and Tinto and Pusser's (2006) "Moving from Theory to Action: Building a Model of Institutional Action for Student Success."</p>

<p> This study examined the multilevel factors that influence mathematics and English performance on the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLEs) among primary seven pupils (i.e., equivalent to the United States [U.S.] 7^th graders) in Uganda. Existing student state test data from the Wakiso District were obtained. In addition, a newly created Teacher Quality Measure (TQM) was used to collect teacher data from the same district. Pupil data from primary seven (7^th grade) and the TQM data were analyzed via Rasch Analysis, Analysis of Covariance, and Hierarchical Linear Modeling to investigate the following two main objectives: (1) Developing a behavioral frequency measure of teacher quality for Ugandan teachers, (2) Examining the relationship between pupil-, teacher-, and school-level factors on pupil achievement on the PLEs in Uganda.</p><p> Specific to the first objective, it was found that a psychometrically sound measure of teacher quality can be developed. The results rendered a 38-question measure focusing on four domains: (1) Teacher Planning and Preparation, (2) Classroom Environment, (3) Teacher Instruction, and (4) Teacher Professionalism. </p><p> The second objective found that there are no significant differences between boys and girls on English achievement controlling for prior ability in English. However, there were significant differences between the sexes on mathematics achievement, with boys having higher scores. Additionally, the results showed that there is a significant relationship between student SES (i.e., boarding and day schools) and student achievement, with higher SES students (i.e., boarding schools) having higher achievement. It was also found that teacher TQM scores were a significant predictor of student PLE mathematics and English test scores, with higher teacher quality rendering higher student mathematics and English scores. There was also a significant difference between school types (i.e., urban and rural) on student achievement in mathematics, with rural schools (i.e., lower SES schools) having higher means compared to urban schools. </p><p> Future research should continue to define the network of relationships between pupil-, teacher-, and school-level factors and pupil achievement, and maintain the measure revision and validation process of the TQM. Assessment is becoming commonplace in the classroom in Uganda, and the need to examine the influence of the teacher on pupil achievement is in high demand. Results from this study can provide insight into the disparities involving sex, student SES, and school SES that influence pupil achievement in Uganda. The findings also support administrative demands for more efficient ways to monitor teacher quality, and in turn, meet educational standards and increase student achievement. </p>

<p> This study was focused on the identification of selected risk factors seemingly present among African American male adolescents 13 to 18 years old who were participants in special education programs at their schools. Many of these male adolescents were also found to participate in the juvenile justice system under what was characterized as disproportionate placement. Through the perusal of several sources, including but not limited to parents, educators, law enforcement personnel, principals, counselors, and experienced teachers involved with special education students, it was realized these regular special students were experiencing disproportionate placement. The purpose of this study was to compare perspectives of parents and selected law enforcement personnel regarding risk factors that may contribute to their placement in special education and the U.S. Department of Justice. The research design was descriptive and established association between/among the variables under study. The data were collected, coded, and analyzed using the SPSS software package. The data revealed that parents and selected law enforcement personnel strongly agreed with 9 of the 21 descriptive statements, disagreed with 1 of the statements, and were undecided regarding 1 of the statements. This research provides educators, parents, administrators, juvenile justice officials, and superintendents involved in making decisions related to placement and instruction with specific information to aid them in making appropriate decisions. </p>

<p> The passage of The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act (2002), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, sparked a significant rise in the number of students with disabilities receiving their instruction in the inclusive setting. While previous legislation mandated that students with disabilities be included in standardized testing, NCLB called for closing the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. Research indicated the success of students with disabilities in the general educational setting was influenced by teacher attitude. This qualitative study addressed secondary general and special education teacher attitudes and beliefs surrounding the practice of inclusion. It focused on comparing data on teacher attitudes towards the inclusion of students with disabilities into the general educational setting. Forty secondary teachers of varying ages, education, and with a range of five to 32 years of experience, from several school districts around metropolitan Saint Louis participated in this study. An electronic survey and semi- structured interviews were employed to query the teachers&rsquo; attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general educational setting and the perceived barriers. The results indicated that teachers&rsquo; attitudes were generally positive toward the ideology of inclusion; however, when asked to express their views about the practice of inclusion in open-ended survey questions, results indicated less than positive views toward the practice of inclusion for all students. The most noteworthy factors associated with the negative attitudes was the lack of administrative support, and lack of training. Results also indicated that special education teachers&rsquo; attitudes towards inclusion were significantly more positive than those of general education teachers. The analysis of data revealed there was not a significant correlation between teachers&rsquo; attitudes of inclusion in regards to their type of certification, degree level, and years of experience.</p><p>

<p> This quantitative study analyzed archival data to determine whether a significant difference existed in the reading comprehension scores and student success (enrollment in honors and or advanced placement classes and college after graduation) of at-risk African American male students who received Advancement via Individual Determination/African American Male Initiative (AVID/AAMI) learning modalities and those who did not. The sample consisted of 134 at-risk African American male students from a California school district. A descriptive comparative research design provided effectiveness in gathering and analyzing data to find the differences between the two groups. The results of an ANCOVA test and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests indicated no significant difference (<i>F</i> = .054, <i>P</i> = .817) between the mean gain reading comprehension scores of 11th grade at-risk African American male students who received AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and those who did not. However, a significant difference did exist (<i>P</i> = .000, chi-square = 24.605) between the two instructional approaches (AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and non-AAMI/AVID learning methodologies), which indicated a high association between AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and enrollment into more rigorous courses such as advanced placement and or honors classes: X²(1) = 7.410^a, <i>p</i> (.006) &le; .05. Although a final research question (Is there a difference in the number of students enrolled in college after graduation of at-risk African American male students who received CRP and those who did not during 2010-2013?) could not be answered due to lack of available data, teachers and or administrators of the AAMI/AVID program in the district recorded that 90% of the at-risk African American male students who received AAMI/AVID learning methodologies enrolled in college after graduation. Practical implications for this study suggested that professional development (PD) of AAMI/AVID learning methodologies is an essential factor in effective implementation of AAMI/AVID learning methodologies, and these methodologies can yield positive results for at-risk African American male students.</p>

<p> Este estudio fue uno de tipo descriptivo. Su objetivo principal fue examinar los factores determinantes de los cambios demogr&aacute;ficos que est&eacute;n relacionados con los servicios complementarios en las escuelas p&uacute;blicas de Puerto Rico entre 1970 y 1990. En el mismo se describi&oacute;, la matr&iacute;cula y nivel escolar que utiliz&oacute; los servicios. Entre las variables se encuentran: orientaci&oacute;n, trabajo social, transferencias, m&eacute;dicos y comedor escolar. Igualmente, se analiz&oacute;, transportaci&oacute;n, escuelas y matr&iacute;cula por zonas geogr&aacute;ficas demarcadas por el Departamento de Educaci&oacute;n. Los indicadores principales fueron: el cambio porcentual del servicio y la matr&iacute;cula, el por ciento que utiliz&oacute; el servicio y la distribuci&oacute;n porcentual del servicio atendido. </p><p> Los resultados revelaron que un porcentaje considerable de los estudiantes matriculados en los tres niveles educativos utilizaba los servicios complementarios en las escuelas p&uacute;blicas de Puerto Rico durante el periodo de estudio. Estos fluctuaron desde -35.3 % de la matr&iacute;cula total en el servicio de comedores escolares hasta un 350.2 % en los servicios de trabajadores sociales. Observ&aacute;ndose, un incremento en los servicios ofrecidos por los trabajadores sociales y los orientadores. Una situaci&oacute;n adversa se reflej&oacute; para los servicios m&eacute;dicos y los comedores escolares. Adem&aacute;s, se reflej&oacute; que el nivel elemental fue el que m&aacute;s utiliz&oacute; los servicios durante el periodo de estudio. </p><p> Se estudi&oacute; la densidad de la matr&iacute;cula por milla cuadrada, as&iacute; como el promedio de estudiantes por zona geogr&aacute;fica. Se registr&oacute; una alta densidad de matr&iacute;cula en la zona urbana tanto en el 1970 como 1990. As&iacute; como, una zona rural superabundante con un incremento en el promedio de estudiantes, durante el periodo. En conclusi&oacute;n, existen factores determinantes de los cambios demogr&aacute;ficos que impactan los servicios complementarios de los estudiantes en las escuelas p&uacute;blicas de Puerto Rico. Entre &eacute;stos se identificaron los siguientes: densidad de matr&iacute;cula y de escuelas por millas cuadradas, tama&ntilde;o y volumen de la poblaci&oacute;n, tasa anual de crecimiento y balance migratorio. Entre las implicaciones relacionadas con los determinantes demogr&aacute;ficos se encuentra la reducci&oacute;n de la poblaci&oacute;n estudiantil matriculada en escuelas p&uacute;blicas, la cual impacta la cantidad de maestros, salones y escuelas.</p>

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Louisville, 1996. / UMI dissertation order no. 9709455. Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-155).

Boys and men tend to do better in math class and to have higher math confidence than their female classmates. It has been hypothesized that low confidence is a precursor to poor performance. Because of this, a great deal of effort has been expended on raising our students' confidence. As a result of this, students in the United States are more confident of their math ability than students anywhere else in the world. Despite this, math performance remains low, for both male and female students. American students seem to interpret this low performance as an indication of limited ability. To change this interpretation, I told some students in introductory calculus classes that their prior math failures were due to low effort and that increased effort should lead to success in college. To make this information more believable, it was embedded in a personality profile that had been generated specifically for the student, and given a scientific sounding name: Talent/Motive Disjunction (TMD). Students who were told that they had TMD did significantly better in calculus than students who were not told they had TMD. This increase in performance was not the result of increased confidence. Students in the TMD condition were no more confident at the end of the semester than students in the No TMD condition. This suggests that changing attributions about success and failure may be effective in improving our students' performance even if confidence raising is not.