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How an effective crisis response plan impacts traditional new student enrollment
No full textWittbrodt, Laurie
This qualitative research examined how the COVID-19 pandemic disruption changed traditional new undergraduate enrollment procedures and results. This study explored the effectiveness of crisis management teams, crisis response plans, and how institutions might respond to an unplanned crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior and director level enrollment participants were randomly selected from small private institutions throughout the Midwest. In-depth, personal interviews were conducted with 11 institutions starting Fall 2021. Common themes were the need for consistent communication throughout the enrollment process, how enrollment strategies changed within the new competitive environment, and how the lack of in-person campus visits impacted enrollment. Traditional new student enrollment depends on the entire campus community [faculty, students, and staff] not solely the admissions staff to encourage prospective students to consider their small private institution. Participants found the reduction of in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years negatively impacted new enrollment. Institutions were creative with one-on-one meetings by walking around campus via Zoom. Competition from other small private institutions was fierce and prospective students found options with tuition discounts. Mask mandates and vaccine requirements impacted incoming students, and many decided not to enroll. Building strong relationships with parents and students coupled with clear, kind communication worked to increase traditional new student enrollment. Admissions leaders that were adaptable with changing enrollment procedures experienced a positive impact on traditional new enrollment
Exploring the perception of value associated with ESL programs during times of unanticipated crises and the role that value plays in decision-making by higher education administrators
No full textMacKechnie, Ruth K.
Academic English as a Second Language (ESL) programs bring financial, academic, and social advantages to higher education institutions; however, these benefits are not always obvious to decision-making administrators. IEP/ESL programs recruit overseas students who pay full international fees over years of language and matriculated course study, and these programs also enhance student retention within degree education. IEP/ESL programs open doors to further education for immigrant and resident students, bring diversity to departments and campuses, facilitate the integration of immigrants into American society, and empower learners through pastoral support. However, since 2015, many ESL programs located in institutions of higher learning have been closed; these closures increased after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The purpose of this research was to investigate the reasons behind the closures of ESL programs and to gauge the perception of value which administrators in higher education hold with regard to these language programs. There were three goals for this qualitative phenomenological study: 1) to examine IEP/ESL language programs and the adaptations that were implemented during different times of unanticipated crises; 2) to gain an understanding of the value associated with these programs; and 3) to provide suggestions for future best practices to support the instructors and the programs. The study involved interviews with six participants within the field: two administrators, two practitioners, and two administrator-practitioners. Findings revealed that IEP/ESL programs are valued by higher education administrators, and there are effective strategies which when implemented, can sustain these programs at times of uncertainty. Supportive approaches include integrating programs more closely within institutions and encouraging new program models which assist students already enrolled in degree programs. These findings can provide administrators, faculty, staff, and advisors with effective and 4 connective strategies that can sustain IEP/ESL programs at times of difficulty. ESL programs contribute to institutional success and are an integral part of the global academic future
Expectations of workforce students based on their self-efficacy and learned experiences versus program outcomes
No full textWebb, Patricia
Workplace readiness among students has been a concern of educators and legislators for many decades, but it remains a complex area of research because students are still underprepared for a competitive workforce demanding diverse skillsets and unemployment remains high. This phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of students who had recently finished or were close to completing a job program (apprenticeship, hired directly, or experiential learning) with attention to their expectations of the program and perceived self-efficacy for implementing skills acquired in the program. Additional focus was placed on describing the expectations and challenges that students might have encountered as they neared the end of their program to identify areas of improvement for the program. The framework for this study was Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory, which is grounded in Bandura’s social cognitive theory. The study was delimited to students attending Dallas College who were at least 18 and also enrolled in an adult education literacy work program. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants via Zoom using an expert panel validated interview protocol. Thematic analysis was used to identify emergent themes addressing the research questions. Results revealed students found many opportunities to learn but had expectations of employment and financial gain through the program that discrepant cases felt were misleading. Further, students reported many outside stressors, felt their lack of experience was a challenge, and lacked confidence. Graduates reported feeling knowledgeable, prepared, and skilled as well as self-perceived increases in confidences and friendships within a professional network. Findings revealed the critical importance of such programs as part of integrating students into the workforce and providing entry-level skills needed to succeed. Educators must also understand the lives of students in terms of the supports they rely on to successfully complete their program. Further research will be needed to expand the generalizability of these findings as well as ways that students can be more informed about programs to avoid negative feelings from unmet expectations
Meaningful and effective academic vocabulary instruction
No full textMeis, KathleenThis classroom improvement project based on teacher inquiry addresses the most effective and meaningful ways to teach academic vocabulary to middle school students. Specifically, it attempts to determine which research-based strategies are most effective when providing vocabulary instruction such as teaching metacognitive word-learning strategies, incorporating classroom discourse about the words, as well as including engaging games and activities. This project also sought to understand how students can feel learning vocabulary is meaningful and valuable to them not only in their academics, but in non-academic contexts as well. A shift in vocabulary instruction involving the selection of challenging, high-leverage words from a classroom novel over the course of a one to two week span, called a cycle, was implemented. Throughout the cycle, students engaged in activities where they had to practice the words by writing and speaking daily to prepare for a quiz at the end to assess whether they have mastered the meaning of the words. This continued throughout an entire quarter, or approximately nine weeks. At the end of the quarter, data from quizzes as well as results from a student survey suggested the direct instruction of specific words and the repetitive and playful way they practiced using them improved students’ ability to recall and define vocabulary words. Students reported they remembered more words, applied the words to their work more frequently, and enjoyed the vocabulary cycles more than the previous vocabulary instruction strategies used
Community circles to enhance engagement in middle school classroom
No full textSchmidt, Ciera
The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate the impacts that the daily application of community circles could have on a middle school classroom. This research was conducted in a post-pandemic classroom in which the residual effects of the traumas induced by COVID-19 and quarantine were present. These effects, along with other various attributes, culminated in a classroom with a lack of engagement due to impaired communication and classroom environment. Over the course of four weeks, 5-10 minute community circle conversations were applied at the beginning of class. During these circles, the engagement of students was observed and recorded as either actively participating or not actively participating. In addition, the lesson that followed each circle was rated on a scale of 1-10 based on overall appearance of engagement. It was found that, through this strategy, the engagement in communication during circle time improved over time, however the results of engagement in lessons was inconclusive
Multi in so many ways : a narrative inquiry into a culturally and historically sustaining Creole Studies program
No full textEspree, Mildred M.
Through phenomenological analysis and qualitative grounded theory, this dissertation provided a higher education case study though which to understand how Creole people have survived through transmission of culture and values learned at the crossroads of American history -- a time when two different cultures, one European-American and the other African and enslaved collided in the New World (Espree, Jazz Zeitgeist: The Coming of Age of a New American Sound and Story in the Early Twentieth Century, 2000, p. 3). Creoles, both marginalized and vilified for having ideas dissimilar to both black and white Americans, are by definition historically multiracial/multicultural. Often forced to assimilate by context and circumstance, they still retain a significant portion of cultural identity and survival skills based on family history and associations forged over time. Focused on the case of a Creole Studies higher education program in Louisiana, this dissertation documented the unique perspectives of program stakeholders and key archival program records to reveal folk and traditional beliefs, values, faith and language, particularly as these are related to higher education achievement. Using narratives of older Creole women and men who are stakeholders in the Creole Studies program in Louisiana, and the program stakeholders, the critical task was to document folk and traditional beliefs, values, faith and language in the context of emerging 21st values and survival skills, particularly as these were relevant to higher achievement and education. This research includes document analysis.
Narratives and interviews were the methodology for this research. What has been documented are the unique perspectives of Creoles in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Additionally, this dissertation has been aligned so that the research purpose, problem and questions are designed to be exploratory, questions that evoke memories, sentiment and honest reflection about the program’s viability in addition to its contributions. Also included is an emergent theory in Historically and Culturally Sustaining Higher Education Programing (HCSHEP)
Impacting teacher mindset through professional development
No full textSzekely, Ann L.
According to several sources, almost half of new teachers leave teaching within five years, and the rate is significantly higher in historically underserved, urban school districts. This statistic has been true for decades. The Social-Emotional Learning and Mindset Movements have gained recent popularity and teachers are asked to create classrooms that are conducive to students feeling like they belong, they can grow, they can succeed, and that what they are learning has value. There is a gap in research that explains how these same mindsets impact teachers and their success. This study engaged urban teachers from three Midwest schools in professional development that helped them gain new knowledge while applying researched interventions shown to increase the mindsets of belonging, growth, success, and value. The use of research-based surveys at the beginning and end of the professional development intervention captured the change in teacher mindsets. This research proved that teacher mindsets are malleable and can be impacted through short professional developments. It also revealed that teachers welcomed these conversations and felt empowered and proud of their work after engaging in professional development. This research helps schools and school districts understand a new way to support teacher learning while developing teachers’ mindsets. Keywords: teacher mindset, urban, professional development, belonging, growth, success, self-efficacy, value, relevanc
The administrator's role in reducing stressors in the school environment as identified by teachers in charter schools
No full textWashington, Precious
Stress is experienced by many in education; administrator assistance provided to teachers varies. Systems and strategies for delivering help must be strategically implemented and developed. An environment of trust and rapport should be considered, so those in need feel safe requesting or accessing support. This study investigates the administrator's role in reducing stressors in the school environment as identified by teachers in charter schools. Specifically, the outcomes of the research answer the following questions:
1. What do teachers say about stress in their work environment?
2. What teachers say administrators could do to mitigate their stress in the school environment?
A qualitative research design was used to gather information for this study, and Participatory Action Research informed the design. A questionnaire was administered to twenty-six participants from a population sample of schools in the City of Milwaukee. An interview was also conducted with five teachers from the target population of seven schools chartered by the City. The findings revealed five significant themes surrounding teacher experiences with stressors in their environment: How teachers' voice is utilized in the school, stress causes, decision-making processes, support systems provided to teachers, and administrative awareness surrounding teacher stressors. The themes are discussed and analyzed using the words: voice, stress causes, decision making, support, and administrative awareness.
These themes were analyzed and interpreted alongside the theoretical framework of external and internal stress causes and risk and protective factors that help mitigate stressors within the environment. The analyses revealed high percentages of teachers who identified external stressors and administrator awareness as risk and protective factors that were effective within the work environment for them as teachers. It was discovered that if protective factors are in place and outweigh risk factors experienced by teachers, it helps reduce stressors within the environment. When teachers are provided multiple avenues for sharing both anonymously and face-to-face, it was concluded that teachers are more inclined to reveal what is needed. Administrators can then be more effective in mitigating stressors by providing protective factors to reduce the risk factors within the environment
Accurately assessing students through culturally relevant assessments
No full textCzarnik Deeter, Elena
The demographics of students in United States schools are shifting. Pew Research Center found the following:
“During the 1987-88 school year, 71% of American elementary and secondary school students were White, 14% were Black, 11% were Hispanic, and 3% were Asian or Pacific Islander (the two categories were grouped together that year).” They continue to say, “By the 2018-19 school year, White children made up fewer than half of students (47%). Hispanic students accounted for the second-largest share at 27%, while 15% were Black, 5% were Asian American and 4% identified as multiracial.” (2021)
But the student population shifts are not changing at the same speed as the teachers’. According to Pew Research Center, 79% of public and charter school teachers are White and “throughout the U.S., public school teachers are more likely to be White than their students are” (Schaeffer, 2021). Teachers are getting more and more students who share different cultures and backgrounds as themselves, yet our practices are remaining relatively unchanged. Tyrone Howard, in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Ingredients for Critical Teacher Reflections (2003), explains this concern:
“U.S. schools will continue to become learning spaces where an increasingly homogeneous teaching population (mostly White, female, and middle class) will come into contact with an increasingly heterogeneous student population (primarily students of color, and from low-income backgrounds). Thus, teacher educators must reconceptualize the manner in which new teachers are prepared, and provide them with the skills and knowledge that will be best suited for effectively educating today’s diverse student population” (p.195).
As educators, if we cannot reflect on our current practices and change how we teach and assess all of our students, we will continue to harm our students’ chances of succeeding in their lives after high school. This inquiry addresses the need for culturally relevant assessments, particularly in high school. In this inquiry, I research the essential ideas of cultural relevance and culturally relevant assessments, I implement a survey for teachers and students, and last I conduct research proving whether or not culturally relevant assessments can, in practice, show different results
Relevant reading in the secondary education classroom : Does real world application motivate students to read and write?
No full textDevlin, W. Sean
This classroom project focuses on increasing student motivation to both read and write in a secondary ELA classroom (specifically Journalism) by allowing for more student autonomy in content selection while still adhering to Common Core Standards. With data from the district I work in showing the majority of students being deficient in literacy skills, I began to wonder what the district’s definition of deficient is and what texts are offered to the students that they are apparently, according to the data, struggling to comprehend. By asking students and colleagues, it appears the literary canon delivered to these students is the stereotypical: whitewashed. This factor is what largely led me to this project. For this project, students were asked to answer this question: What person, group, or issue do you think is underrepresented in news media? In this practice, students navigated news sites of their choosing with the guiding question of what/who do I want to know more about? After having selected a person, group, or issue, students gathered information and created the front page of a newspaper in a user-friendly software called Canva. Students married their working knowledge of news creation (headlines, leads, and stories) and their understanding of underrepresentation for this project. By putting students in control of what they choose to learn, schools may see an increase in student motivation, work submission, and morale. Three sections of journalism will take part and based upon my research, I expect to see an increase in work submission and quality when paired next to teacher-controlled projects as the research points to culturally relevant texts as the catalyst for student motivation. I also expect to see an increase in student motivation when completing these projects. All student work was done in the classroom