Rozprawy doktorskie na temat „High school education”

Research indicated the transition from eighth grade into ninth grade can be a difficult time for students. His Grace High School (HGHS) ninth grade students illustrated this difficulty. The purpose of this study was to examine African American student and parent perceptions regarding the transition process into high school. Currently, all students and parents at HGHS participate in a two-part orientation session to prepare and acclimate to the new school community and learning environments. Orientation sessions are facilitated by predominately African American staff members; however, the premise of the session was developed and implemented by Caucasian staff and faculty. Furthermore, the manner in which the information is developed and shared with the African American students and parents does not consider or address the cultural needs of African American parents and students. Critical Race Theory, CRT, was used to measure inequality in education. According to Hiraldo (1994) scholars have used CRT as a framework to analyze and critique educational research and practices. Critical Race Theory attempts to address the cultural needs and disparities of minority students when compared to students of the dominant race.

The research questions provided additional information about the transition process and how the administration, faculty, staff, and school community can develop and implement a transition program that will assist both students and parents transitioning into HGHS. A qualitative analysis of the current transition process was conducted. Current freshmen students and parents completed surveys and participated in interviews about their experience with the transition process at HGHS.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a new dropout prevention program, Project WALK, which was launched at a low-income high school in Missouri during the 2012-2013 school year. After examining alarming dropout statistics, Washington High School chose 40 students to participate in a new program, Project WALK, which was designed to use graduation coaches to improve at-risk students' performance. The program's six graduation coaches formed relationships with at-risk students, monitored student progress, and consistently communicated with parents, teachers, and school administrators about the at-risk students. The researcher, an administrator at the school, gathered quantitative data to measure the effects of the intervention and qualitative data to measure the perceptions of the students who participated. The quantitative data collected for this study enabled the researcher to assess whether the graduation coach had an effect on each student's attendance, discipline, and number of credits earned during the time of the intervention compared to other years the student was in high school. The researcher considered secondary data in order to compare students' performances before and after the intervention and thus to test for a correlation between a student's being paired with a graduation coach and student outcomes such as attendance, discipline, and number of credits earned.

In addition to quantitative methods, the use of qualitative methods enabled the researcher to describe and analyze student perceptions of their experiences. Little is known about the perceived experiences of individual students who are considered to be at risk of dropping out of high school. Because qualitative data on this subject have been lacking, the qualitative component of the present study could lend greater insight into the effectiveness of interventions in students' lives. This study looked at 30 males, 10 females, 20 general education students, and 20 special education students. The results of this study indicated that the graduation coaches were beneficial in preventing dropouts, which suggests that the strategy of using graduation coaches is a promising one for serving at-risk students. These findings inform the work of educational specialists, practitioners, and school systems personnel who design interventions to help reduce the dropout rates in schools.

One of the challenges in the field of computer science is teaching the subject at the high school level. Thirteen computer science teachers, one technology teacher and one department chair for technology were interviewed to determine how they thought computer science education could be improved at the high school level. The qualitative research addressed curriculum, professional development, educational computer science standards and frameworks, technology, and pedagogy. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for the research. Nvivo was used to analyze the interviews. When the results were compiled, many teachers were concerned that there were low numbers of students interested in computer science. Having low numbers or students enrolled in computer science classes contribute to low numbers of computer science teachers. Different way to address these problems are proposed.

Science education has undergone multiple reforms over the years, yet each reform continues to produce little change in student success. The latest reform of the standards—Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)—look to change that trend by focusing on what students can do, rather than just what they know. Modeling Instruction (MI) is one research-based pedagogy that is in alignment with the NGSS concepts of student-led classroom instruction. This proven strategy has been used across the U.S., but often in isolation, rather than as the routine classroom instruction throughout a school’s science department.

Changes in new teaching methods, such as those needed to implement MI or NGSS, are not easy for schools to make. They require entire organizations to shift their beliefs in how education appears, with students actively working and presenting content, while the teacher walks to the students, facilitating and asking questions. Leadership within the school can help this transition take place, by providing structures and processes that support others attempting to make changes in their practice. Effective leaders not only provide a plan, but they also create a supportive climate in which goals can be achieved.

This qualitative case study looked at the leadership of schools that have implemented MI across the science curriculum, which includes Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Characteristics of the leaders, such as leadership style and structures, provided information on how to make a successful change in instruction. Data was collected via interviews with school leaders and school faculty, and observations taken at the school. This data was then coded to identify common themes and trends.

Results of this research showed that leadership played an important role in the implementation of MI in secondary science classrooms. Key attributes were provided by school leadership to help with the implementation. Professional development provided the staff with the tools needed to learn the techniques of the new methods. Time for collaboration was also given, which allowed the staff to help each other with any problems that had arisen along the way. Finally, support was given by the leadership when teaching staff had problems with their implementation. These characteristics allowed for the change from traditional instruction to MI at two high schools, while minimizing problems and creating an atmosphere, which inspired creativity.

Hybrid High School education is a disruptive innovation that has begun to replace traditional brick and mortar schools for many students world-wide. In addition to a traditional school model are the traditional metrics by which schools are compared. These metrics have been achievement data, success rates, and funding analyses. These metrics do not account for the lived experience of the high school students, in the same way that the traditional model of education does not account for the changing methods available for learning. This study is a phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of high school students who have attended hybrid educational programs. These programs utilize the digital advances available for learning by offering at least half of their curriculum online, while maintaining face to face instruction during the rest of curricular time. The premise of this study is that high school provides an ethos, or manifested culture, for each student served. The questions used in nine interviews to understand this ethos were created using research in the area of adolescent life satisfaction. The research resulted in focus areas to be discussed: autonomy, engagement, social capital, and community connectedness. Participants in this study age 18–20 recently graduated from four years attending a hybrid program. The participants were introspective and detailed in their explanations of life experiences during their time in hybrid programs, and how their ethos was shaped by experiences in each of the areas of life satisfaction listed above. The interview analyses led to four conclusions regarding hybrid high school student life. First, the hybrid program graduates interviewed have a rich sense of community. These communities vary and most are members of multiple communities. All feel a sense of belonging and are connected to groups beyond family. Second, the hybrid program graduates are highly self-reliant. Participants pointed out that they have relationships with people who are supportive, but that they are independently responsible for overcoming life’s obstacles. Third, these conclusions are intended to influence design of future innovational programs. Finally, the hybrid high school did serve as a disruptive innovation which had clear benefits for the adolescents participating. This study, in combination with additional studies focusing on specific program elements, could result in quality innovative programs that meet the needs of a changing adolescent population.

The purpose of this study is to explore and identify flow characteristics in experienced middle school and high school band directors in the context of their teaching. The research was conducted using a qualitative multi-case study through the use of non-participant observations, field notes, and interviews with observational video with stimulated recall to identify the characteristics of flow in a total of five experienced middle school or high school band directors. It was apparent from the findings that every experienced middle school and high school band director experienced flow characteristics at different times while instructing their bands; conditions that facilitated and inhibited characteristics of flow as well as qualities that sustained characteristics of flow also were observed. This research may contribute to improved professional development and preparation of band directors; it may help them to recognize and achieve flow and develop good teaching practices, thereby enabling their students to reach their learning potential.

Inclusive STEM-focused high schools (ISHSs) are a relatively new phenomenon in the landscape of public education. This study of four exemplar ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successfully in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the approach to ISHS school leadership by identifying various internal and external leadership factors influencing school leadership. This study examined an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, and a cross-case analysis focused on the leadership contributions of ISHS leaders and their larger community.

This study found that the ISHSs expanded the concept of school leadership to include leadership both within and outside the school. In addition, school leaders needed autonomy to innovate and respond to their schools’ needs. This included autonomy in hiring new teachers, autonomy from school district influence, and autonomy from restrictive teachers’ union regulation and policies. Finally, ISHSs needed to continually invest in increasing their schools’ capacities. This included investing in teacher professionalization, providing pathways for school leadership, collaborating with business and industry, and identifying the best student supports. A product of this study was a proposition for characterizing school leadership in an ISHS. This proposition may offer valuable insight, implications, and information for states and schools districts that may be planning or improving STEM education programs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that motivate high school students to participate in school band. The relationships between music education, academic success, and social engagement in school were explored. A survey questionnaire and interview questions were used to generate response data from 45 high school band members. Data were gathered, coded, and analyzed using qualitative survey and structured interview design techniques. A systematic approach was used to create a viable narrative that, when added to existing literature, provided a better understanding of the topic for those decision makers struggling to find justifications for how and why band is an important option for high school students. Findings from this study support earlier research and provide a strong case for the claim that many students are intellectually, emotionally, expressively, and musically nurtured by membership in school band. Stress relief was a powerful theme throughout student responses and many students indicated that band was an important place where they were able to build their strongest support relationships. The information acquired from this study provided insight into student perceptions about the value of band participation from environmental, behavioral, and cognitive viewpoints and highlighted the importance of band as a social and emotional support space where students are able to find sanctuary from the stressors of their lives.

Grit, defined as the tendency to pursue long-term goals with sustained zeal and hard work, was shown to predict achievement in academic, vocational, and avocational domains. In 2009, Duckworth and Quinn found that grit predicted student effectiveness in school and the concept of grit was largely unrelated to talent. Grit provided incremental predictive validity for achievement outcomes, particularly in settings of high challenge. From the combination of persistence, self-control, and more broadly, conscientiousness, emerges the concept of grit.

The purpose of this study was to compare the relative grittiness of students from two different high school settings. The first of these was a non-traditional technical high school. The second was a traditional suburban high school. One hundred students from each high schools took the Grit-S survey to determine their level of grit. It was found that students attending the non-traditional high school and students attending the traditional high school had no statistically different level of grit. However, students from the non-traditional technical high school had an observably higher level of self-reported grit. Teachers and administrators were interviewed to determine their perceptions about grit. Qualitative analysis of their responses rendered three commonalities. The first theme was a definition of grit rooted in persistence and self-motivation. The second theme was the need for adults to model grit for the benefit of their students. The third theme was a lack of difference between the genders in perceived grit or academic prospects.

This dissertation expanded on the research of Grit and Student Performance as it relates to students who attend a non-traditional technical high school and students who attend a traditional high school. There was a lack of previous research comparing these two distinct types of high schools. After the data was gathered and analyzed no significant differences were found. This dissertation provides ideas for future research and its results may possibly change attitudes about students in both high school settings.

Educational reform is at the forefront of legislatures and school districts across the United States (Hattie, 2011). To find and employ high school improvement initiatives that lead to improved educational experiences for students, educational leaders must examine in great detail what systems have been successful and then modify the initiatives to fit the characteristics of their particular school districts (Berliner & Glass, 2015). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of initiatives one Midwestern high school implemented beginning in 2012. The initiatives implemented included the Tardy Sweep policy, Response to Intervention (RtI) program, and a Late Work policy. The data collected were archival and reflected the school years from 2010-2011 through 2015-2016. Using descriptive statistics, the findings demonstrated an improved attendance rate, a decline in discipline referrals, and decreased failure rate with the implementation of these initiatives at one Midwestern high school. The findings of this study provide a compelling argument for the implementation of the three initiatives at other high schools.

This applied dissertation was designed to describe and explain the dropout phenomenon occurring in a rural high school in southeastern North Carolina. Caucasian students were dropping out at a disproportionate rate compared to other ethnic groups in the school. Over the last 4 years, 68 students did not graduate with their prospective class at the southeastern rural North Carolina high school research site; approximately 63% of those students were Caucasian, and 37% were non-Caucasian. Caucasian students were the smallest population at the selected high school (40%); however, they accounted for the highest average percentage of dropouts (63%). In 2011, Caucasian students alone accounted for 81% of the total dropouts. In essence, the largest ethnic group not graduating in this rural school district was Caucasian students. In an effort to investigate the academic, social, and home factors (strains) that may have contributed to the high dropout rate of Caucasian students, a study was conducted at the high school. The study involved investigating perceptions of professional staff at the selected high school. Professional staff completed a survey that measured perceptions as to why Caucasian students dropped out a higher rate than other ethnic groups. The general research design answering the 2 research questions for this study was a explanatory mixed-methods research design utilizing quantitative and qualitative data collected sequentially. After calculating descriptive statistics from survey responses (means and frequency of occurrence), performing a chi-square goodness-of-fit test, and conducting focus-group interviews, the results of the study indicated that professional staff members at the selected high school perceived that academic and home and community setting strains, not social strains, were the greatest influence on why Caucasian students were not graduating at the same rate as non-Caucasian high school students at the selected rural high school.

Abstract Over 40 years of research, three categories of instructional practices are consistently shown to enhance student achievement, including (a) Evidence-based (EB) Strategy Instruction, (b) Feedback, and (c) Formative Assessment. It was the hypothesis of this study that Grade 9 Algebra 1 classrooms do not routinely use these EB practices to enhance their instruction. Data was collected from 12 Algebra 1 classrooms utilizing a researcher developed systematic observation tool featuring highly effective instructional practices from the 2001 Marzano, Pickering, and Pollack and 2009 Hattie meta-analyses. Study results suggested that the frequency of EB instructional practices varied remarkably among teachers. However, the preponderance of teaching time was spent in two forms of practice with little time devoted to other EB strategies and informal formative assessment practices often lacked variety and depth. Last, the frequency or type of EB instructional practices used did not differ between classes designed for students with average math skills compared to classes designed for lower skilled students. Recommended methods for increasing the widespread use of highly effective EB instructional practices included: (a) system-wide improvements in pre-service teacher training in highly effective instructional practices, (b) more effective on-the-job professional development and implementation practices, and (c) the use of structured professional learning communities focused on improving pedagogy.

U.S. and world communities face the challenges of understanding how children grieve and of giving them sufficient social and educational support. Inner-city minority adolescents have not been represented well in the bereavement and attachment literature. The purpose of the quantitative study was to use the attachment theory to understand the impact of parental bereavement on these adolescents. Data were collected using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Piers-Harris Children's Self- Concept Scale (2^nd ed.), and school records. MANOVAs were used to analyze the influence of attachment organization, bereavement status, and gender on self-concept and academic and behavioral functioning in school. Results indicated that securely attached adolescents functioned better across all 3 variables than did insecure and unresolved/disorganized adolescents. There were no differences in functioning in the bereaved group according to attachment organization. Results according to gender indicated that although the female participants experienced more academic success and had fewer behavioral difficulties in school, their self-concept was more negative than was that of their male counterparts. There were no differences in functioning in the bereaved group according to gender, but compared to the entire sample, the bereaved females no longer functioned better than males, academically or behaviorally, and there were no longer differences in self-concept. Possible positive social changes from these findings include improvements in school-related student support such as promoting the use of the AAI, linking educational and clinical environments, and assisting schools in developing safe-base classroom environments that could better meet students' needs according to their attachment organization and bereavement status.

Small City School Districts across New York State are becoming increasingly fearful of losing newly hired, highly talented teachers. In the United States, 8% of teachers leave the profession annually and greater than 50% quit teaching before reaching retirement age (Sutcher, 2016). A study done on teacher retention decisions in New York City revealed lack of administrative support as one of the top five reasons for teacher attrition (Boyd, Grossman, Ing, Lankford, Loeb & Wyckoff, 2011). The importance of a teacher’s effect on student achievement cannot be overstated. Teachers have more influence on student achievement than any other factor (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017).

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the effect that high school principals have on the retention of high school teachers in Small City School Districts in New York State. This research examined the responsibilities of high school principals who are important to teachers’ decision to remain in their current role; determine which responsibilities exist in their schools; and analyze the correlation between the two. The leadership practices and principles that are defined in The 21 Responsibilities of the School Leader, as outlined by Marzano, Waters and McNulty’s book (Marzano, McNulty, & Waters, 2005) School Leadership that Works, are the conceptual frame for this study.

This study utilized anonymous survey results from 295 respondents currently employed in 13 Small City School Districts located within the Northeastern Regional Information Center of New York State. The findings from the research indicate that while all of the 21 Responsibilities used in this research are existent, respondents were neutral in their perception of whether any of them were important to supporting teacher retention.

However, when separating the results by demographics, there were significant differences by gender and years of teaching experience. Responses by females and teachers with less than 10 years’ experience demonstrated statistically significant differences, whereas they perceive a vast majority of the 21 Responsibilities used in this study to be more important than their male and veteran teacher counterparts.

Also, the Responsibility of Involvement with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment ranked last amongst survey results as important to supporting teacher retention and perceived existence by the building principal.

Finally, all leadership behaviors used in this study demonstrated a moderately positive correlation between what was perceived as important to supporting teacher retention and perceived existence of the behavior by the principal.

Over the last decade, many Christian high schools in the United States have been adapting to an exponential increase of Chinese international students. Chinese families have shown increased interest and ability to send their teenage students to American high schools. Public high schools can only host an international student for a year, but private high schools can enroll the students multiple years. There have been few educational research studies for private high schools to refer to if they wanted to read research that would directly aid them in creating supports for their increasing amount of Chinese international students. This study’s purpose was to explore what school supports Chinese international secondary students attending Christian high schools in the United States perceived to be effective. Three Christian high schools in California participated, with a total of 23 Chinese international students completing a questionnaire in which they rated existing schools supports and answered open-ended questions. The students showed overall satisfaction with existing schools supports, while also having many ideas for improvement. The students rated the following supports most highly: opportunities to be in service projects, the performing arts, the opportunity to learn about the Bible in club meetings and camps, teachers providing help for international students, and connection with international student alumni. Students voiced that they strongly desired help building stronger connections with local students, more academic support, and more culturally appropriate food.

Much has been written in the past twenty years about the importance of leadership at the school site level. There has been a major emphasis in the literature, in fact, on the power of the principal and the critical nature of the role for student achievement. Capable leaders have the ability to turn a struggling school into a thriving school. However, in urban school districts, high school principals tend not to stay on the job very long. There is considerable research in the area of principal retention as scholars attempt to uncover what factors influence retention. Large numbers of principals cite “stress” as their reason for leaving. However, there is not as much research into the ways in which stress affects high school principals in the urban context. Additionally, some urban high school principals seem to flourish in the position and are able to create significant and sustainable improvements at their urban schools.

After a review of the current literature on the urban context, retention, emotion, self-regulation, stress, and the role of the superintendent, this study will examined eight urban high school principals attempting to understand why they leave their positions or seem to thrive in them. The findings surfaced point to ways district personnel can better support their leaders and to inform administrator preparation programs about how to best prepare their candidates for transformative leadership positions.

Personalized learning is an evolving method for tailoring the goals of K-12 education to meet the needs of each student. This study supports education leaders in learning how to tailor education plans that maximize success for each student. This study extends learning about a better course of action for schools that might prevent students from being in credit lag and at risk of dropping out. This qualitative research study aims to outline themes about time, place and pace in earning high school credits, as well as combat the reasons why students drop out. Through a qualitative content analysis of US Department of Education reports, corporate advocacy narratives, and published research monographs, the researcher examined how rationales for a personalized learning model served to further innovative approaches to high school course completion by redefining the roles of teacher and student in the learning environment. The theory of situated learning was the basis for recognizing the relationships between teaching and learning in a personalized learning instructional model. The documents showed a high level of density in discussing the combined roles of teacher and student with little regard for the singular role of teacher in a personalized learning model.