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The environment of urban schools can be characterized by high teacher turnover; high student drop out rates; low performance by students on standardized tests; and a shifting demographic in student population. New teachers graduating from teacher education pre-service programs will almost surely teach in urban schools with students from different socio-economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds than themselves. Students in these urban school environments often do not feel a connection to their teachers or their schools. This study shares oral narratives from teachers, students, a principal, and staff members from a high school for recent immigrants in the South Central United States which defies these odds. The interviews focus on how care is experienced by the teachers and students and sheds light on how teachers and students define the practice of care. Further the study looks at how school leadership and policies can impede and enhance the practice of care in the school setting. Among the several major findings, it was found that teachers and students both have a need, even a longing, for connection. The results provide implications for classroom practice, professional development, school leadership & decision-making practices, school culture, technology use, and overall school performance. / text

With a dramatic increase in the prevalence of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with high-functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome, educators are challenged to meet the educational needs of a complex and widely diverse group of exceptional learners. The focus of this research was to gain insight into the experiences of the graduated student with autism and his/her parent(s) during the student's time in public school. This study had three research questions: 1) What were the lived experiences of students with ASD who graduated from an urban public high school in the southeast United States?; 2) What were the lived experiences of the parents of the graduated students with ASD?; and, 3) Were there common themes between the graduated students' lived experiences and the parent's lived experiences? Five graduated students and their parents were interviewed in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Explicitation of the interview data identified three themes for the graduated student group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; and, c) involvement in their educational process. Four themes were present in the parent group: a) challenges with learning due to having an ASD; b) difficulty making friends; c) establishment of a relationship with the school; and, d) preparation for post-secondary experiences. The graduated student group agreed with the parent group on 16 of the 20 interview questions. Responses for each graduated student were compared to the responses of his/her own parent(s). Recommendations were made for future research.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Additional advisors: Natalya Ivankova, Margaret Rice, Boyd Rogan, Linda Searby. Description based on contents viewed July 7, 2009; title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 176-184).

This explorative research paper looks at language proficiency development of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States, and examines what factors influence their academic achievement. The paper discusses cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States and aims to explore educational policies, in relation to educating ELLs. The study was carried out with a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers and two administrators at the high school of the investigation. The data collected were analysed with a constant comparative approach, and a thick description of the setting is provided. The conclusion that is drawn from this investigation is that ELLs’ academic achievement is affected by a wide range of factors, including current testing policies, resource allocation, school system requirements, school environment, home situation, and the ELLs’ previous schooling.

This explorative research paper looks at language proficiency development of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States, and examines what factors influence their academic achievement. The paper discusses cultural and linguistic diversity in the United States and aims to explore educational policies, in relation to educating ELLs. The study was carried out with a qualitative approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teachers and two administrators at the high school of the investigation. The data collected were analysed with a constant comparative approach, and a thick description of the setting is provided. The conclusion that is drawn from this investigation is that ELLs’ academic achievement is affected by a wide range of factors, including current testing policies, resource allocation, school system requirements, school environment, home situation, and the ELLs’ previous schooling.

This inquiry examined the practice of instructional coaching in a large, low-performing, high-poverty urban high school. The participation of instructional coaches was examined in light of the school's attempt to construct a culture of social justice in a long-marginalized community. This research examined at instructional coaching through the framework of social reproduction theory in order to ascertain specific instructional coaching practices that may substantiate or validate the existence of legitimation, deskilling of teachers, and cultural hegemony, in an urban secondary school. Among key findings were 1) the disconnect between the intended purpose of instructional coaching and the actual interactions between the coach and teachers have the resultant effect of legitimation through the deskilling of teachers; 2) documentary evidence revealed that the curricula promoted by the instructional coaches at the Education Complex results in a cultural hegemony, having the reductionist effect of narrowing the curriculum to only the most basic levels of cognition, and proffering only what is deemed "legitimate" knowledge. Methods included interviews with instructional coaches, examination of documentary evidence, and observations of instructional coaching activities.