Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Educational services'

First-generation, low-income, and disabled college students are an increasing population (Tinto, 2012). TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is an academic support program funded by the U.S. Department of Education that seeks to support this demographic to overcome challenges and thrive while in college (Coffman, 2011). Utilizing a mixed methods approach, the goal of this study was to examine the student success outcomes of retention and grade point average of TRIO SSS students compared to students who are similarly qualified but not being served by TRIO SSS at a Midwestern, large, public, four-year institution. In addition, TRIO SSS seniors were interviewed during focus groups. During focus groups, students reflected on their overall programmatic experiences in TRIO. A total of 1,913 students were involved in the quantitative analysis, and 16 TRIO seniors participated in the focus groups. Data analysis resulted in the emergence of four major themes: (a) relationships, (b) loyalty, (c) trust, and (d) transformation. These findings were consistent with other studies conducted within the scope of Tinto’s (2012) theory of student retention. All of the interview participants identified a profound and personal emotional connection to their time in TRIO SSS. This study was significant due to the lack of previous research that couples the experiences of students with quantitative data. Implications for practice included, but were not limited to, stronger support for first-generation students through a range of campus partnerships and initiatives. Recommendations for future research included expanding this study by examining TRIO programs at other institutions and gathering perceptions of first-generation students through multiple focus groups.

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary educational services assistant superintendents practice to lead their organizations through conversation as depicted by Groysberg and Slind’s (2012b) 4 elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used in this study in order to describe the lived experiences and behaviors of exemplary leaders. The target population was educational services assistant superintendents in Southern California. Participants were selected using a purposeful, nonprobability, convenience sampling. Data gathering took the form of semistructured, in-depth interviews, observations, and artifact collection. Interviews were conducted using a protocol designed by the team of collaborative peer researchers in order to gain insight into leaders’ perceptions of their conversational leadership experiences. Triangulation with observational notes and artifacts served to increase the validity of interview data. All data were entered into NVivo software to assist in analyzing patterns and predicting themes for coding.

Findings: Close analysis of interview notes and transcripts, observations, and artifacts resulted in total of 25 themes and 447 frequencies among the 4 elements of conversational leadership. Ten key findings were identified across the areas of intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Conclusions: The study supported the 4 elements of conversational leadership proposed by Groysberg and Slind (2012b) and identified specific behaviors that exemplary leaders practice within each. Four conclusions were drawn based on the data and findings. Educational services assistant superintendents who want to become transformational conversational leaders should (a) practice careful listening to create an environment of trust and support intimate communication structures within their organizations, (b) facilitate a variety of collaborative groups using a process for the exchange of ideas to establish dynamically interactive organizations, (c) invite shared leadership opportunities to nurture a climate of inclusivity, and (d) continually focus conversation of the organization’s purpose to ensure collective understanding and clarity of direction.

Recommendations: Further research of private sector leaders and assistant superintendents in regions outside of Southern California should be conducted. In addition, the element of intimacy in the workplace requires more attention in the field of conversational leadership.

Urban middle school students experience poor self-efficacy and poor attitudes toward school climates after being retained. Previous research has indicated that grade-level retention in primary and secondary education might cause long-term achievement gaps, school failure, and high school dropout rates. However, current research has yet to examine relationships between archival data retrieved on retained middle school students’ achievement outcomes and perceptions of school climate. The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to assess the relationships between retained middle school students’ self-efficacy as measured by the School Climate Survey and their performance outcomes as measured by PowerSchool^®. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy maintains that an individual must have the belief, motivation, determination, and drive to persevere when challenged. The archival data were collected from 1 northeastern urban middle school in the United States representing underachieving participants (N = 45) enrolled in the Postive Academic and Behavioral Support Program during the academic school years of 2017 and 2018. Population groups of female and male students ranged in age between 11–14 years old. A repeated measure design analyzed the same participants over a 6-month period by measuring archival data on achievement outcomes from GPAs, attendance, and demographics (sex and age). Results showed significant increases in GPAs and significant increases in males’ positive perceptions of school over the school years of 2017 and 2018. The results of this study can be used to promote positive social change for education professionals working in urban school districts providing support services to at-risk students facing school failure.

This study seeks to understand higher education leadership overall by exploring how mid-level leadership is enacted by career services directors. Given that higher education institutions are facing a wide range of challenges that require an equally wide range of skills to address them, colleges and universities may need to become more inclusive regarding who contributes to institutional leadership. Mid-level leadership is defined in this study as a process of social interaction that originates with a middle manager and that cuts across functional areas and/or hierarchical levels to impact institutional goals. Three research questions frame the study: 1) How do career services directors develop the capacity for social influence within their institutions, 2) How do career services directors use their social influence to cut across functional areas and hierarchical levels, and 3) What institutional goals are advanced when career services directors enact mid-level leadership? A collective case study methodology was employed. Twelve career services directors whose profiles matched the study’s selection criteria for individual characteristics (e.g. years working in a director-level position in career services, years working at the director level at their current institution, minimum of master’s degree, evidence of engagement in leadership activities on- and off-campus), unit characteristics (e.g. unit size, staff configuration, and scope of services offered), and institutional characteristics (e.g. geographic location, institutional size, four-year public or non-profit status) took part in interviews for the study. Study findings indicated that career services directors developed the capacity for social influence by creating internal networks, involving staff in increasing the visibility of the unit, and establishing themselves and/or their unit as a critical institutional resource. They utilized their social influence by deliberately leveraging their networks, providing access to information and resources, and framing issues for institutional stakeholders. The study found that when career services directors enacted mid-level leadership, the institutional goals they impacted included the development and/or implementation of the institution’s strategic plan, curriculum development and student learning, and the advancement of diversity initiatives.

This study is an examination of early intervention services for infants/toddlers with visual impairments, as related to home-based services and andragogy learning theory. Early intervention refers to therapeutic services provided to eligible infants/toddlers while andragogy emphasizes how adults learning. Research discussed the implementation of andragogical factors with parents of infants/toddlers appeared limited. The null hypotheses statements addressed four variables related to infant/toddler with visual impairments assessment scores, the number of home visit units authorized by the child’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and implemented by the early intervention service provider, responses on the family outcome survey, and service provider responses regarding the use of andragogical factors during early intervention home visits.

The researcher examined secondary data related to assessment scores of infants/toddlers with visual impairments, the frequency of home visits implemented by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and/or Orientation and Mobility (O and M) specialist, comparison of early intervention units, and results of a Family Outcome Survey. The researcher co-authored the Modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory for Teachers working with Parents of Young Children (MIPI-TPC) to measure the frequency in which early intervention service providers implemented andragogical factors during home visits. Participants of this study included 30 infants/toddlers with visual impairments receiving early intervention services from a TVI and/or O and M specialist. Seventeen families completed the Family Outcome Survey and three early intervention service providers completed the MIPI-TPC. The utilization and analysis of descriptive statistics, a t-test of dependent means, and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Analysis of Variance, and Chi-Square test determined relationships among the variables.

The results demonstrated limited relationships with assessment scores, frequency of home visits, units provided and authorized in the infant/toddler’s IFSP, and parent responses on the Family Outcome Survey. However, the MIPI-TPC results reported the service providers implementing andragogical factors within the category levels of above average and average. The prominent finding of the study supported the integration of andragogy learning theory during early intervention services. Future studies linking the two fields together may benefit the advocacy of early intervention service providers, empowerment of parents, and most importantly, infants/toddlers with developmental delays.

Schools continue to change in many ways. Technology, diversity, Response to Intervention (RtI), 21st Century Skills, and other initiatives warrant the need for continued professional development for all school staff. School psychologists play a key role in the school system and can bring significant contributions to the school team. School psychologists often have multiple schools to serve in rural and urban settings and, at times, have to serve schools in isolation away from other school psychologists. School psychologists need opportunities to engage in meaningful professional development and have the opportunity for collegiality and collaboration with other school psychologists. This study investigated the effectiveness of school psychology learning communities as a way to provide professional development, collegiality, and collaboration school psychologists need to contribute to the education environment.

A qualitative case study design was utilized in this study. Data sources from interviews, observations, and documents chronicled the perceived impact of utilizing professional learning communities for school psychologists as a method of professional development in a seven-district special education cooperative in the Midwest.

The findings of the study uncovered that the learning community produced an increase in knowledge and skills for school psychologists. It also provided a forum to study and find consistency in services school psychologists provide to schools. Data also showed that school psychologists felt that the goal setting process within the group served as a guide to identify continued professional develop needs. In addition, data revealed that school psychologists felt that collaboration within the learning community had an impact on student achievement and that the learning community increased job satisfaction of school psychologists.

The purpose of this study was to examine various services offered to former and current foster youth and the effect on their educational attainment. Secondary Data from the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) was used to look at these services. Chi-Square analysis was used to examine significant relationship between educational attainment and the variables collected. This study examined the following services: academic support; post-secondary education support; educational financial assistance; room and board financial assistance; other financial assistance; career preparation; employment programs or vocational training; independent living needs assessment; budget and financial management; housing and education and home management; supervised independent living; and mentoring. The study found all variables to be statistically significant when compared to educational attainment.

This Delphi study explores the opinions of experts on their interactions with the adoption of digital products, services, and activities. Although there are a wide assortment of digital products and digital spaces that have the ability to make significant contributions to scholarship, still traditional monographs and textual publications dominate how research and opinions are shared. Even through scholars have widespread adoption of social spaces and digital technologies including self-publishing, many of their institutions and peer review platforms are still hesitated to recognize their contributions to scholarship (Gruzd, Staves, & Wilk, 2011). The conceptual framework of this study is built upon Earnest L. Boyer’s (1990) four principles of scholarship: the scholarship of discovery; the scholarship of integration; the scholarship of application; and the scholarship of teaching. In addition, the theory of diffusion of innovation by Rogers will guide the analysis component of the research.