Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Educational poverty'

Modern suburban school districts have experienced a significant shift in demographics over the last decade making them more diverse in race, ethnicity, income and ability level. The income diversity in suburban districts can hide pockets of significant need in the community. Due to the formulas associated with federal programs, suburban districts are less likely to receive supplemental funds to support vulnerable students. This study utilizes a case study approach and offers a unique view into the phenomenon by examining the work of a suburban school which has narrowed the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more affluent peers without the assistance of federal funds. Data includes interviews with 18 previous and current administrators, teachers and other staff, meeting observations, and a review of school documents and artifacts. Findings note the school maximizes its limited resources, empowers teachers to be instructional leaders through trusting relationships, has a robust support system for students and builds a welcoming school culture. Shield’s (2001) transformative leadership framework was used as a theoretical lens to explore the school’s practices.

The results of this study enhance the understanding of suburban schools with diverse populations by (a) identifying the multi-tiered support system that increases achievement of all students; (b) recognizes the school climate and culture among staff and students that create an environment that reinforces learning; and (c) illustrates how relationships between administrators and teachers can reinforce the instructional practices of the school.

The researcher completed a quantitative comparative content analysis of early childhood developmental programs in high-poverty and low-poverty counties across the state of Missouri. The researcher discussed the importance of early childhood programs in the longevity of academic, professional success and long-term health benefits. Although lawmakers, educators, parents and policy makers emphasized the immense importance of early childhood education, the state of Missouri had not completed an evaluation of early childhood developmental programs for over 15 years. The last study (Fuger et al., 2003), completed in 2003, only evaluated early childhood programs described as part of the state’s Missouri Preschool Project (MPP). The research results stated the state of Missouri had not completed a study evaluating all early childhood programs in the state.

The researcher examined secondary data, specifically licensing reports from online, public records through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) website, as well as programing costs, curriculum, and accreditation through brief interviews of administrators employed by various child care centers and public school early childhood preschool programs. The purpose of the study was to discover if inequity occurred in facilities located in high-poverty and low-poverty counties. The researcher explored whether high-poverty facilities had more licensing violations than those facilities in low-poverty areas and examined the type of violations and assessed differences in the number of violation types. After researching early childhood curriculum endorsed by the state of Missouri, the researcher examined the type of curriculums used by each facility to determine the quality of the curriculum. The researcher surveyed the cost differences of facilities and the affordability of programs, based on average income. The researcher also evaluated the overall quality of programs, based on the secondary data.

In summary, the researcher conducted the study to examine differences between the quality of early learning and developmental programs in high and low poverty counties around the state of Missouri. The researcher determined the quality of a program based on the percentage of licensing violations, type of violations, curricula used, if a center held extra accreditation, and the cost per week. The results of the study were mixed.

School districts composed of a large number of high-poverty students are generally not found to be high-achieving (Chenoweth & Theokas, 2013). In Missouri, districts are assessed in accordance with the fifth edition of the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) which results in an Annual Performance Report (APR) score (Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [MODESE], 2014d). School administrators of districts having two consecutive years of APR scores over 95% while having a student population composed of a large number of students receiving free or reduced price meals were recruited for a qualitative study. Interview questions were developed based on the Rosenholtz (1985) paper about effective, high-poverty, inner-city schools. The questions were designed to extract information about the ways in which building leaders decrease teacher isolation, maintain a skilled teaching staff, set and monitor goals, remove non-instructional tasks for teachers, and maintain a collaborative school culture. Upon analyzing interview data, seven common themes emerged: collaboration, relationships, consistency and stability, high expectations, clarifying tasks or objectives, using and analyzing data, and community support. Over 60% of Missouri schools report a 50% or higher free and reduced price meal rate among students (MODESE, 2014j), which leads to additional challenges for educators (Balfanz, 2011; Hagelskamp & DiStasi, 2012; Jensen, 2013). Besides adding to current data about high-achieving, high-poverty districts, this study provides evidence specific to Missouri educators that can be used to inform future practices.

In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on student outcomes on high stakes summative assessments. This call for accountability has forced educators to look critically at themselves and their schools to determine what they can do to improve the outcomes (Suber, 2011). Generally, in the United States, schools with high percentages of poor students have low achievement relative to schools with wealthy student bodies (Suber, 2011). However, there are a select number of educational institutions that seem to be beating the odds. These schools have both high concentrations of poverty and exceptional outcomes on federal, state and local assessments (Edmonds, 1979). Teachers in those schools tend to report positive perceptions of school administrators, and school administrators tend to have a significant impact on outcomes (Edwards, 1979).

The purpose of the study is to better understand principal leadership policies, practices, behaviors that are present in high achieving, high poverty schools. Furthermore, building level data will be used to identify specific areas of strength/weakness within individual schools. In order to accomplish this goal, the research focus will be teacher perceptions of leadership qualities of the administrators in high achieving, high poverty schools in Russelburg (a pseudonym) Illinois District #1. By looking inside individual schools, the district can compare and contrast the perceptions to determine what specific leadership characteristics are present. As a result, professional development goals can be developed that focus on the areas of weakness found in the results.

The socio-economic achievement gap is prevalent in schools across the country. There are many high-poverty, high-performing schools that have been successful in closing this achievement gap. This study investigated 30 Illinois elementary school principals from high-poverty, high-achieving schools. Principals were given the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and data was collected about school location, number of administrative jobs previously held, gender, race, and ethnicity of the principal. The personality types of the principals were compared to historical data on personality types of school principals. There were three findings in the study. Principals with the sensing-thinking-judging (STJ) type were most prevalent in the sample of high-poverty, high-performing schools. The rate of STJ and specifically ESTJ in the sample was higher than the historical data for principal personality type. Principals in their third or more administrative job in the sample had higher scores for extravert than those in their first or second job. More research is recommended including larger samples, samples including high schools, and comparison research with principals of high-poverty, low-performing schools.

This qualitative study explores the external protective factors of family, school, and community as perceived by rural students who live in poverty and demonstrate academic resilience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that were reported by the students and teachers which supported the academic success of these students in a rural school district. By identifying the common variables among academically resilient students, educators identify practices that support or even cultivate resilience in students who are at risk for failure.

Resilience research has revealed both external and internal protective factors that serve to buffer against the effects of risk factors. Specific to academic resilience, individual attributes have been determined to provide significant internal support to students. External protective factors for students related to the family, school, and community have also been identified. By understanding these external protective factors as they are perceived by students, educators may develop policy and practice to support academic resilience.

The study employed multicase methodology using phenomenological interviews. Participants included six students who demonstrated academic resilience. Triangulation of data sources included in-depth, semistructured interviews with six students and a former teacher of each student, verbatim transcription of all interviews, a document review, and personal observations.

Findings revealed protective factors of connections, expectations, experiences, and instruction supported school success in rural students living in poverty.

Children living in poverty in the United States face some of life’s greatest challenges, including achieving academic success in school. Evidence is also emerging of a growing income disparity in America that affects families, communities and local labor markets in ways that can undermine the effectiveness of schools serving disadvantaged populations (Duncan & Murnane, 2011). Evidence exists, however, that high academic performance is within the reach of all children in high poverty schools, and that principal leadership is a contributing factor.

This study examined principal leadership practices in three high poverty K-5 elementary schools in Oregon identified as Model schools under the Oregon ESEA waiver to No Child Left Behind. This study identified themes of leadership practices including 1) high expectations, 2) meeting children’s basic needs, 3) shared leadership and teamwork, 4) use of data, and 5) personal attributes of the principal. Other themes considered important to one or more groups of respondents but not necessarily to all included 1) caring, 2) positive support, 3) addressing biases about children and families in poverty, 4) principal’s elementary teaching experience, and 5) pride in the local school. As such, the findings of this study support the knowledge base in educational leadership regarding principal leadership as a factor in schools that impact the academic growth of children (Hallinger, 2005; Hallinger, Bickman, & Davis, 1996; Hallinger & Heck, 1998; Hattie, 2009; Jacobson et al., 2004; Leithwood & Jantzi, 2012; Leithwood & Louis, 2012; Leithwood et al., 2004; Lyman & Villani, 2004; Marks & Printy, 2003; and, Water, Marzano, & McNulty, 2003).

This study has implications for district hiring and planning for principal succession, teacher hiring, resource allocation, community engagement, and district support for schools serving students in high-poverty communities.

This study measured the impact of targeted reading interventions on improving reading fluency for second-grade students as indicated by their performance on a statewide standardized assessment of reading fluency proficiency. Reading fluency scores for students who received intervention in second grade were measured again in their third-grade year to see if the intervention had a lasting impact on their overall reading fluency ability. Statistical analysis using a paired samples t-test revealed that reading fluency ability increases with the use of targeted intervention among second-grade students. A statistically significant relationship was discovered through the use of a paired samples t-test for students who receive targeted intervention in second grade and their third-grade IRI scores. This verifies that targeted reading fluency interventions are successful among students from high-poverty backgrounds. Individual and focus-group interviews were completed with teachers, para-professionals, and instructional coaches who provided reading fluency interventions to students. Themes emerged indicating a need for targeted intervention, meaningful practice, and instructional strategies in order for students to become fluent readers. Further analysis determined that schools that utilize classroom teachers rather than para-professionals to provide reading fluency intervention to struggling, high-poverty students achieved the most overall growth on the IRI. Another contributing factor to overall growth on the IRI was the amount of time students received intervention. Students that received at least forty-five minutes a day of additional intervention exhibited higher levels of growth. Lastly, several different reading curricula were used in the present study, revealing that instructional strategies and targeted intervention leads to greater acquisition of reading fluency skills regardless of the prescribed curriculum.

The purpose of this project was to design a program, identify a funding source, and write a grant to fund a prevention and intervention program for youth and parents in impoverished neighborhoods who are facing educational losses and barriers due to their socioeconomic class. An extensive literature review increased the writer's knowledge about the relationship between poverty and education. Information about evidence-based prevention programs was gathered and used by the grant writer to design a best practices program for impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, particularly the South Central area. A search for potential funding sources via Internet, library, and grant funding search engines resulted in the selection of the Weingart Foundation as the best funding source for this project.

The funds will be used to open "Pearl of Hope" in the South Central area of Los Angeles. The objectives of the program are to: (a) increase student's academic performance; (b) facilitate home environments that are conducive to their child's education; and (c) educate teachers of effective ways of working with children that come from poor backgrounds.

The impact of poverty on one rural elementary school’s student achievement was measured based on formative and summative assessment data. Student assessment data were examined to determine if strong relationships can be linked between students living in poverty and academic achievement. Additionally, parental perceptions were addressed as to whether or not parents are engaged in their child’s education, and if so, does this engagement impact student achievement. The topic was chosen for the relevancy of determining students’ instructional needs and how best to move the elementary in a positive direction academically. The socio-economic levels of families in the area studied are unlikely to change for the better; however, the level of student academic achievement can change for the better. Presently, elementary schools with high poverty rates and high academic achievement do exist, as described in specific detail in this paper. The data from this study indicated some students currently living in poverty are capable of achieving on a high academic level. The data from this study also showed all students who performed below proficiency within the research sample were also living in poverty. This quantitative study involved examination of how students living in poverty and students not living in poverty achieved academically. Details are provided on how schools with high numbers of students living in poverty can be academically successful.

The achievement gap in American schools between middle class students and students from poverty is well documented. This paper outlines the findings of a study designed to explore the experience and conscientization of struggling students from poverty. The argument will be made that poverty can be viewed as a culture and that this view may shed significant light on the dynamics of the achievement gap. Further, using the construct of poverty as a culture provides real life applications that have the potential to impact the achievement gap. The study explored the lived experiences in a public school setting of intermediate students from poverty, hoping to capture their voice and insights. The research utilized a Critical Pedagogical Approach to attempt to understand why American schools struggle with these populations and what could be done to address the achievement gap.

In 2014 the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) adopted the Framework for Great Schools to act as a gauge for measuring and monitoring school improvement. The amalgamation of this framework entails six components- two of which are the foci of this study: trust and strong family-community ties as it relates to the engagement of families. Educational research (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013) has revealed the direct correlation of school improvement and student achievement with purposeful-intentional parent engagement. Therefore, this qualitative- comparative study explored school leaders’ capacity to address issues of impoverished and homeless families, their ability to foster trust and strong family-community ties with families and their protocol for progress monitoring and refinement. Participants in this study include six principals, four parents, four Students in Temporary Housing Liaisons (STHL) and two Community-based Organization representatives. All of these principals are affiliated with Title 1 elementary schools in NYC and Long Island which have a temporary housing population of 10% or greater. Data was collected using interview questions designed by the researcher, 3.4 indicator of NYC’s 2015-2016 Quality Review Rubric and NYC’s 2015-2016 Learning Environment (LE) survey.

This study focused on identifying leadership ability and embedded school cultures to answer three research questions: 1. How are school leaders addressing issues of poverty and homelessness faced by families of their student population? 2. What structures or partnerships have schools established to address the needs of this population of families? 3. How is or to what extent is the school building trust in creating strong family-community ties?

The findings of this study revealed that issues of poverty and homelessness hamper the building of trust and strong family- community ties. The contributing factors that are barriers to building trust and strong family-community ties are poor student attendance and parent involvement, immigration status, language/culture, negative experiences with schools, lack of communication and the disregard of parents as stakeholders. The barriers school leaders encountered vary from school to school thus their approaches to addressing the needs of families differed. Schools were most effective in meeting the needs of students and their families when they worked collaboratively with CBO partnerships and other agencies. This collaborative effort provided additional resources both human and financial to support addressing the needs of homeless and impoverished families. Lastly, protocols and methods used at the school level did not specifically measure trust and community-ties but success of activities or events that were geared toward families.

Community dynamics are best understood in context through community voice and perspective. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationship between poverty and neighborhood identity for a community contending with issues of poverty and immigration. I employed a case study design grounded in the opinions of community members, supplemented by additional data to understand the effect of neighborhood identity on community decision making, prioritization, and educational attainment. Data sources included interviews, field notes, and document reviews and the data analysis revealed a community besieged by issues related to poverty and immigration, and the overwhelming command that these conditions have upon the community-at-large. Issues of survival, fragility of legal presence, complacence, and relationship dynamics all emerged as consequential to the lives of members of the community. Furthermore, the characteristics present within this community are aggravated by the underlying structural and institutional roadblocks that maintain systems of poverty and marginalization. The interviews and document analysis revealed the systemic inhibitors for a community fighting to sustain its survival and unable to generate upward mobility.

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences and perspectives of 4 elementary school principals and 4 instructional leaders committed to social justice practices who have improved and sustained grade level performance in reading with Black students for the duration of 3 consecutive years.

Four research questions guided this study and included: What strategies are used by elementary principals and instructional leaders to advance equity, access, and opportunity, to improve core teaching and curriculum, address barriers faced, and develop resilience when leading the work of social justice? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the intention of learning specific leadership strategies used to create, promote, and sustain equitable learning environments where Black students meet and exceed proficiency rates in reading.

Key findings suggest that leaders who accomplish and sustain high academic achievement at their schools hold high expectations for their students, immerse themselves in culturally responsive professional development trainings, seek community supports to enhance curricular programs, and invest in professional study and self-care practices to sustain themselves both professionally and personally. Recommendations for future policy demonstrate the need for principal preparation programs dedicated to addressing social justice leadership practices as a means to advocate equity, access, and opportunity for marginalized and oppressed students everywhere.

Recently, a great deal of interest has been generated around the role of principal and its effectiveness, especially its impact on improving teacher instruction and student learning. Waters, Marzano, and McNulty (2003) concluded that one quarter of all “school effects” on achievement can be attributed to principals. While there is general agreement on the principal’s importance and affect, do we understand how principals have adapted to changes in schools with reduced resources and increased learning needs of students? How have principals made decisions in an environment where resources have been reduced over time? Given the stories of retired principals from high poverty elementary schools, the purpose of this narrative inquiry is to understand how principals made sense of their experience when having to respond to decreasing resources and the need for increased student achievement. Participants in the study included retired principals from high poverty elementary schools who were employed during the time period extending from 2008 through 2014. Findings from the study make sense of the meanings elementary principals have constructed and attached to the phenomena of decision-making in times of financial reduction in order to help other principals who have been challenged by similar circumstances. Three categories of leadership styles and seven skill areas emerged in the study. Principals made use of these styles and skills in their responses to the crisis.

When considering closing the achievement gap, full-day kindergarten (FDK) is a viable contender. The implementation of specific teacher strategies enhances the FDK experience and elicits gains among the students. The literature clearly articulates a strong correlation between poverty and poor achievement and supports the notion that the relationship between the teacher and student is a positive factor in closing the achievement gap. However, the research is insufficient when it comes to digging deep into teacher perceptions regarding the importance of the relationship that exists between the teacher and the student. The foundation for which this study is built stems from John Bowlby’s attachment theory and emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the child and adult. This study provides profound insight into the perceptions of FDK teachers and the strategies, or concepts they believe have the greatest influence on student achievement among students of poverty. The qualitative phenomenological study revealed intimate and personal thoughts of nine FDK teachers discovered through the coding and analysis of 18 semi-structured interview transcripts. Substantial findings exposed four themes with great clarity and obvious patterns. The themes in order of the greatest number of responses to the least, are: classroom atmosphere, instructional strategies, student management, and the relationship between the teacher and the student.

The purpose ofthis project was to establish a system of structured parental involvement utilizing parent liaisons in Verde Elementary and Peres Elementary Schools within the West Contra Costa Unified School District in Northern California. This system would facilitate parental engagement in the educational process of the students.

The target population, urban students of poverty and color, has been shown to have lower levels of academic achievement and high school graduation rates than other students. Parental involvement has been shown to enhance academic achievement and to benefit families, schools, and communities. The primary goal of the program is to increase the level of engagement of all parents within the school by actively reaching out to them, with the assumption that increased parental involvement will increase student performance, attendance, retention, and graduation rates. The concept of cultural humility will serve as the central theoretical framework which guides the establishment and operation of all aspects of this project. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not required for successful completion of this project.