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Insights from Indigenous Students on High School Completion
Get PDFIn Canada, 25% fewer Indigenous students complete high school compared to non-Indigenous students. Given the rich culture and tradition of education within Indigenous communities and families, why is the discrepancy between graduation rates for Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students so significant? How do educators support Indigenous students complete high school? A review of previous literature suggested that, in order to improve Indigenous student success in completing high school, schools should consider addressing learning environments, improving culturally-infused pedagogical practices, and addressing the barriers in place for Indigenous people. This study’s method was a case study design with data collected and findings triangulated through focus groups, observations, and document review. The intention of this qualitative study was to provide insights from the perspective, perceptions, feelings, and lived experiences of Grade 12 Indigenous students on how educators can better support high school completion for Indigenous students. The findings suggested that if educators improve relationships, build on awareness, and focus on supporting students to build resiliency, rates of high school completion could improve for Indigenous students. On this basis, it is recommended that school districts provide targeted professional development opportunities, engage with increased community involvement, target early childhood education programs, and focus on cultural awareness and privilege within schools and the larger community
How Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Students With Disabilities Influence Inclusion in Career and Technical Education Courses
Get PDFThis qualitative case study investigated how the attitudes and perceptions of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers toward students with disabilities influenced inclusion in CTE courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how positive or negative experiences of CTE teachers toward students with disabilities impacted the number of students accessing CTE courses. Fifteen high school CTE teachers, along with a focus group of six high school CTE teachers were interviewed. Results of this study revealed that despite positive attitudes toward inclusion in CTE courses, CTE teachers felt unsupported by special education and reported they felt CTE was being used as a dumping ground by counselors placing students with disabilities into any CTE course to fill students’ schedules. Lack of professional development by special education to provide support to CTE teachers led to frustration. Additionally, study findings indicated that without the skills to educate students with specific disabilities, CTE teachers awarded passing grades of 70, even if the students had not completed the work earning a passing grade. It is recommended further research is needed to investigate the postsecondary outcomes of students with disabilities who were given credit for a CTE course and the rate of success for postsecondary education and employment
Stepping Stone or Road Block: An Evaluation of Community Colleges in the Midwest to Improve Attrition and Graduate Percentages of African American Students
No full textThe path towards higher education is not the same for all. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore why African American students enroll into community college in the Midwest at higher percentages than any other racial group but persist to graduation at the lowest percentages. Factors that hinder African American students from persisting toward graduation and eventual degree completion from a 2-year college were uncovered through interviews conducted with participants on community college campuses throughout the Midwest. Considering the findings of this study, it is suggested that professors and instructors use classroom interactions and instructional opportunities to provide mentorship to African American students that will support focus and ignite the determination to graduate. Additionally, career and life coaching should be offered to assist African American students toward graduation. Together these components of mentorship and assistance can encourage African American students to overcome the obstacles they face in reaching their goal to graduate
City of Camas City Hall Safety and Security Project Plan
No full textThis proposal is designed for the City of Camas as a means to create a culture of preparedness, improve safety and security, as well as build resilience. The current state of City Hall allows for the threat to the loss of life and property. Through preparation, education, training, crime prevention through environmental design, and structural improvements, a state of safety, security, and continued critical functionality for the community can be met. These improvements allow for the City of Camas to stand by their mission statement, committing to “preserving its heritage, sustaining and enhancing a high quality of life for all its citizens and developing the community to meet the challenges of the future (City of Camas, n.d).
The Effects of Alternative Certification Program Type on Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Causal-Comparative Study
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of alternative teacher certification program type on teachers sense of efficacy in classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies. Teacher self-efficacy has become the industry standard to measure a teachers sense of confidence in instructional tasks (Lauerman, & König, 2016). Measuring teacher self-efficacy of new teachers can indicate how teacher preparation program plays a role in establishing teacher self-efficacy. The study was built upon the conceptual framework of the teacher self-efficacy theory, which is a subset of the self-efficacy theory (Tshannen-Moran & Woolfolk-Hoy, 2001). Participants in this study were new alternative certified teachers in Texas who had graduated from three program types typically found in Texas. Teachers completed the long form of Teachers Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). Each domain of teacher self-efficacy was statistically analyzed by a one-way ANOVA test to examine mean differences among teachers efficacy scores in each of three domains. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the mean scores of teachers in three domains of teacher self-efficacy, the researcher recommended that further testing using mixed methods continue. Understanding how different training experiences throughout professional training affect teachers perceived sense of efficacy can offer program developers a realistic view on which methods support teachers the most
The Impact of Collegiate Sports Participation on African American Male Athletes’ Academic Achievement
Get PDFAfrican American male athletes are attending public and private universities and colleges across the United States in increasing numbers. Participating in a collegiate sport may interfere with the athletes’ academic achievements. Past researchers have shown the influence of collegiate sport participation on African American identity and a striving for upward mobility among African American males through sports. However, African American male athletes are not offered the chance to describe their experiences while participating in collegiate sports. In this explanatory case study I explored how sports participation impacted the academic achievement of African American male collegiate athletes. Parsons’s structural functionalism theory, Cross’s nigrescence model of Black identity, and Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory formed the conceptual framework, or lens, for this study. The research question about how sports participation impacts the pursuit of academic achievement among African American collegiate male athletes guided the study. The data revealed 3 recurring themes in participants’ perceptions of the impact of athletics on their academics: (a) participants did not feel like regular students; (b) participants had long days, and (c) participants frequently mentioned the conflict of money taking priority over academics. All participants agreed upon adopting approaches to perpetuate higher academic achievement for African American male athletes. This study may affect African American male athletes, coaches, and parents. The implications of this study could encourage colleges and universities to address the perceptions of African American male athletes’ failed academic achievements
