Although education in South Africa has undergone several changes since 1994, it is still in a phase of transition and development. Educational policy is continually being improved upon. With the introduction of the new education policies, there will be a greater need for trained learning support specialists to observe, test, diagnose and intervene with an appropriate assessment and programme as early as possible in the learners’ school career. Structure of Intellect (SOI) is a tool that can be used by these support specialists, who will be qualified to assess and intervene when learners are experiencing difficulties with learning. The SOI assessment and programme form a unit and are interrelated. At the time of this study, the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, is advocating that learners should be able to learn in their choice of home language, that is, any one of the eleven official ones in South Africa. In the meantime, many of the learners are learning in English as the main language of learning. This poses difficulties for many learners, who may be experiencing other, but related learning barriers. There is a need for a programme that will be able to develop the intellectual abilities of learners so that they can be successful in their learning. The SOI programme, designed in America and used successfully in many countries, is available for use in South Africa and has the potential to make a contribution to the educational sphere in this country. The focus of this study is the possible adaptation of this programme for use with English second-language learners. The design is one of evaluation research, emphasising process evaluation, with an overlap into programme monitoring. This research is predominantly qualitative in nature, with some quantitative information in the form of graphs and statistics. From four themes extrapolated from the data, answers to the research question were fully discussed and were reported in a qualitative approach. The themes of socio-economic influences, the learning environment, affective influences on the learner, and language and literacy were all found to be inextricably interwoven in the learners’ lives and affect them in many ways. Socio-economic influences are particularly relevant to the South African context, as there is still widespread poverty amongst a large part of the population. The learning environments in which children develop influence their interest in and ability to learn. Affective views of learners about themselves have profound effects on their motivation to learn. Language and literacy are currently at the heart of many difficulties experienced within the field of education. Erhman (1996:137) emphasises the importance of emotions and language learning in the following statement: “Every imaginable feeling accompanies learning, especially learning that is as closely related to who we are as language learning is.” Although many challenges face learners in South Africa today, one of the major ones being learning in a second and sometimes even a third language, findings from this research reflect that the SOI programme should and can be adapted for use with English second-language learners in urban South African schools. The study concludes with recommendations relating to changes to the SOI programme as it relates to vocabulary, diagrams, and the way in which instructions are given in the South African setting. The results indicate that there is scope for further research using other SOI materials, which could be suitably adapted for the South African context. / Mrs. J.V. Fourie

Leadership for learning has arisen as a robust framework for measuring principal leadership practices that impact student achievement by synthesizing fundamental theories of principal leadership, such as instructional leadership, transformational leadership, and shared instructional leadership. Research affirms the need for principals to prioritize leadership for learning practices based on the context. However, we know little about how context impacts which leadership for learning practices are prioritized by teachers and administrators in these different contexts of school level (elementary or secondary) and region (rural, small town, suburban, urban). The purpose of this dissertation study is to examine how differences in context affect specific leadership for learning practices. These differences will provide evidence for the need to revamp the principal evaluation systems that are currently in use and allow us to identify opportunities for preparation, support, and professional development for principals. I use the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) survey for this dissertation study as it combines recent research on principal leadership to measure specific leadership skills. Collected by the researchers of the CALL group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I use the 2016-2019 CALL dataset in the present study, which includes 281 schools with 536 administrators and 8,027 teachers. This dissertation study examines a) differences in teacher and administrator ratings within the CALL assessment, b) differences in secondary and elementary school level ratings within the CALL assessment, c) differences in administrator’s ratings by region within the CALL assessment. The results of this dissertation study show that a) administrator perceptions of the frequency of leadership for learning practices are always higher than teacher scores for any leadership for learning practice, b) elementary schools had fewer disagreements across the leadership for learning practices in comparison to secondary schools when comparing the perceptions of the frequency of practices in leadership for learning scores between teachers and administrators, and c) substantial differences occur in the perception of the frequency of leadership for learning practices between urban school administrators and administrators in other regional contexts (rural, small town, suburban), especially around issues of school climate, summative evaluation of teachers and students, and resourcing strategically.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / Many urban schools struggle to retain their best teachers because of challenging work environments, poor salaries, and ineffective school leadership. The additional requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation for teachers to be highly qualified and the increased academic requirements of raising students to a proficient level in reading and mathematics mean that these schools face additional challenges to retaining teachers. Little research has been done on teacher retention in relation to NCLB in urban schools, but the few studies available have suggested that NCLB has had a negative impact on teacher morale and retention in urban schools. The research project was a paired case study that examined teacher retention in four urban schools, contrasting two schools that showed improvement under NCLB in terms of student achievement with two schools that did not show improvement. This study used human resource data, teacher and principal interviews, and school improvement plans to answer the following three research questions: 1) Does the teacher retention rate remain constant as schools improve? 2) Is there a pattern of teacher retention in improving schools? 3) What do improving schools do to attract, train, and retain teachers? The results showed that all schools had increased levels of teacher retention from the beginning of the study until the end. Improving schools had slightly higher rates of teacher retention, especially among teachers who were determined to be desirable. There was some evidence that as student achievement rates rose in improving schools, so did the rate of teacher retention. Lastly, the findings suggest that schools that were improving were also schools that embodied many of the factors that teachers are looking for in a school, including strong school leadership, positive working conditions, and other supports for teachers new and experienced, such as professional development and mentoring. This study has several limitations, such as a small sample size and a limited pool of human resource data. The findings have important implications for urban school districts that are trying to retain quality teachers.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the possible relationships that exist between the overall, structural, and cosmetic school building conditions and student achievement and chronic absenteeism of students who attend urban high schools located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This study utilized the Revised Commonwealth Appraisal of the Physical Environment (CAPE), for principals of high schools in urban school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia, to assess the condition of their school buildings. The Revised CAPE survey measured the educational condition of the school building by accessing elements and features of a school building that research has shown to have an influence on the learning environment (Cash and Earthman, 2019). The school's student academic achievement data for English, mathematics, and science, along with chronic absenteeism data from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) was used to investigate if there was a relationship between school building conditions and student achievement and chronic absenteeism. This study sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the relationship between the Achievement of All Students in English reading/writing and progress of English learners towards English language proficiency (English Combined Rate) on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 2. What is the relationship between the Achievement of All Students in mathematics on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 3. What is the relationship between the Achievement of All Students in Science on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 4. What is the relationship between chronic absenteeism and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? Research has shown that students who attend school in school buildings that are rated above standard, or standard outperform students in school buildings rated in poor condition (Earthman, 2018) and relationships have been found between poor school building condition and greater school absenteeism (Simon et al., 2010). An ANOVA statistical test was conducted to compare the percent of Schools' Academic Achievement of All Students on the SOL assessments for English, mathematics, and science and chronic absenteeism percentage rates in the schools identified as standard to schools identified as substandard. Findings from this study indicated that the condition of school buildings had a significant relationship with student achievement and chronic absenteeism. Associated implications for practitioners included a need to conduct facility and safety audits, train principals on the impact school building conditions have on student achievement and chronic absenteeism and ensure school buildings are equipped with sufficient safeguards to provide safe learning environments. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to examine the possible relationships that exist between the overall, structural, and cosmetic school building conditions and student achievement and chronic absenteeism of students who attend urban high schools located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Eighteen principals across the Commonwealth completed the Revised CAPE survey to assess the condition of their school buildings. The Revised CAPE survey measured the educational condition of the school building by accessing elements and features of a school building that research has shown to have an influence on the learning environment, (Cash and Earthman, 2019). The school's student academic achievement data for English, mathematics, and science, along with chronic absenteeism data from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) was used to examine if there was a relationship between school building conditions and student achievement and chronic absenteeism. This study sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the relationship between the Academic Achievement of All Students in English reading/writing and progress of English learners towards English language proficiency (English Combined Rate) on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessment and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 2. What is the relationship between the Academic Achievement of All Students in mathematics on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 3. What is the relationship between the Academic Achievement of All Students in Science on the Virginia Standards of Learning assessments and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? 4. What is the relationship between chronic absenteeism and the condition of the school building in urban high schools? Research has shown that students who attend school in school buildings that are rated above standard, or standard outperform students in school buildings rated in poor condition (Earthman, 2018) and relationships have been found between poor school building condition and greater school absenteeism (Simon et al., 2010). Findings from this study showed a significant relationship between the conditions of school buildings and student achievement and chronic absenteeism.

The purposes of this study were to describe how high school department chairpersons spend their time and to examine preferences as to the role they should have in a large urban school system as perceived by principals, department chairpersons, and teachers. The research questions were as follows: (1) How do department chairpersons spend their time in the areas of supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? (2) To what degree do principals, department chairpersons, and teachers believe department chairpersons should be responsible for tasks in the areas of supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? (3) What are the discrepancies between department chairpersons, principals, and teachers in terms of reported time spent by department chairpersons and the degree of responsibility they believed department chairpersons should have in supervision, curriculum, personnel, management, staff development, communication, and other areas? This study was conducted in the District of Columbia Public School System during the 1989-90 School Year. It included ten of the eleven public full-time academic high schools. The population of this study consisted of principals, department chairpersons, and teachers. The data for this study were collected through the use of a descriptive survey. The results from the data analysis suggested the following major findings: (1) high school department chairpersons spend a greater amount of their time in managerial roles, performing such tasks as planning and conducting departmental meetings, preparing and monitoring departmental budgets, arranging for repairs and replacement of equipment, ordering supplies and equipment, maintaining inventory, completing forms, and gathering information; (2) principals, department chairpersons, and teachers believed that a high degree of responsibility of the department chairperson should be in encouraging, stimulating, and motivating teachers; (3) There were statistically significant differences between department chairpersons, principals, and teachers in relation to the reported time spent by department chairpersons and the degree of responsibility they believed department chairpersons should spend on various tasks. / Ed. D.

This study explores teacher retention and teacher resilience in the United States through the stories of five teachers. The researcher presents the research in two manuscripts. Finding My Way through Teaching: A Critical Autoethnographic Play combines critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970) with autoethnography (Ellis, 2004) to examine the author's personal journey as a teacher in a private school, a public school, and a public school in Central America. The research is presented as a one-act play with scenes focusing on conversations with parents, principals, and students, along with scenes examining each situation that take the audience through the internal monologue of the researcher's decision making process to move schools, stay in a school, leave a school, and question their ability or willingness to return to K-12 schooling. Building Relationships: The Stories of Four Small Urban School Teachers shares the stories of four veteran elementary school teachers, teachers who have taught for more than five years, from Parker City Public Schools. This study uses a case study approach with recorded dialogic interviews as data (e.g., Kvale, 1996; Marshall and Rossman, 2011). The stories the teachers tell point to the importance of building and maintaining relationships with students, other teachers, and administration, as one of the key factors for overcoming the challenges of working in a small urban school division and one of the key factors for changing schools or remaining in a school throughout their careers. / Ph. D. / This study explores teacher retention and teacher resilience in the United States through the stories of five teachers. The researcher presents the research in two manuscripts: Finding My Way through Teaching: A Critical Autoethnographic Play and Building Relationships: The Stories of Four Small Urban School Teachers. In Finding My Way, the author uses critical autoethnography to examine their own journey as a teacher in a private school, a public school, and a public school in Central America. The findings are presented as a one-act play with scenes focusing on conversations with parents, principals, and students, along with scenes examining each situation , taking the audience through the internal monologue of the author’s decision making process to move schools, stay in a school, leave a school, and question their ability or willingness to return to K-12 schooling. In Building Relationships, the researcher shares the stories of four veteran elementary school teachers, teachers who have taught for more than five years, from Parker City Public Schools. This study uses a case study approach with recorded dialogic interviews as data. The stories the teachers tell point to the importance of building and maintaining relationships with students, other teachers, and administration, as one of the key factors for overcoming the challenges of working in a small urban school division and one of the key factors for changing schools or remaining in a school throughout their careers.

The purpose of this study was to describe the data of the overarching research question: What are the demographic characteristics of race, gender, and disability status of Office Discipline referrals (ODRs) related to law enforcement referrals for assault, assault, and battery and the subsequent referral to law enforcement for criminal charges in one suburban school division in Virginia. The findings emphasized that African American males were disproportionately represented in Office Discipline Referrals compared to any other subgroup included in the study. The data revealed that a higher proportion of Black female students were referred to law enforcement compared to male students. Furthermore, students with disabilities had a higher percentage of Office Discipline Referrals; however, the percentage and number of referrals to law enforcement did not support the data. The research had some limitations. The introduction of a new behavior-tracking system for recording Office Discipline Referrals affected the accuracy of the data. This raises concerns about the necessity for additional training and support for school administrators using student behavior administrative response (SBAR) and the potential for erroneous input of ODRs into the system and disciplinary procedures. / Doctor of Education / This research aimed to examine the demographic characteristics (race, gender, and disability status) of student office discipline referrals for assault and assault and battery and the subsequent referral to law enforcement for criminal charges in a suburban school division in Virginia. The researcher employed quantitative data with a non-experimental descriptive design, analyzing data from the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. The study revealed that the overall percentage of office discipline referrals for Black students remained relatively high over the reporting years, while there was a decrease in the law enforcement referral count for the latter year, which was reported to have decreased by 3.1%. The findings highlighted a higher proportional representation of office discipline referrals for Black or African American students and males. Surprisingly, the proportion of female students in the referrals to law enforcement category was higher than expected and reported higher than male students. Furthermore, students with disabilities (SWD) had a higher percentage of office discipline referrals over the two years, but their referrals to law enforcement did not reflect the same increase. This suggests that students with disabilities are not frequently referred to law enforcement. However, it is essential to note that there were limitations to the research, including potential impacts on data accuracy due to implementing a new behavior system for capturing office discipline referrals. These concerns underscore the need for further training for school administrators using student behavior administrative response (SBAR) and the possibility of incorrect entry of referrals into the system.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of African American female principals serving in high-poverty urban schools. This study was warranted due to the growing number of African American female principal leaders in urban schools over the last 20 years. School leaders in urban school districts are expected to increase academic achievement, support district initiatives, and foster the development of urban communities. The study results will serve as a source of information to educators on similar journeys.