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Effectiveness of Engaging Parents of Indigenous Students as Measured by the Engaging Parents of Indigenous Students Survey for School Leaders (EPIS-SSL) and the Relationship Between EPIS-SSL Results and Indigenous Student Attendance and Achievement Results in Alberta, Canada
Get PDFSignificant achievement and attainment gaps exist between students who are registered at their schools as Indigenous and students who are not registered as Indigenous. Research indicates that engaging parents of Indigenous students can improve student achievement outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive analysis was to describe practices schools use to engage parents of Indigenous students, principals’ perceptions of the effectiveness of parent engagement practices as measured by the Engaging Parents of Indigenous Students Survey for School Leaders (EPIS-SSL), and whether these engagement practices have a relationship with previously collected Indigenous student attendance and achievement data. This study used three instruments to examine practices schools use to engage parents of Indigenous students: the EPIS-SSL, Average Daily Attendance reports, and Alberta education assurance measures–First Nations, Métis, and Inuit reports. This study was unique from other studies of practices for engaging parents of Indigenous students as it sought to use quantitative measures to examine the effectiveness of those practices.
The study used a quantitative descriptive analysis design, which included both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Participants in the study included 30 principals across five school districts.
The study described several practices that schools use to engage parents of Indigenous students, including hiring school liaisons, facilitating cultural celebrations, initiating communication, offering transitional supports, encouraging parent council participation, building relationships, and offering Indigenous language programs. Effective strategies for engaging with parents of Indigenous students included having a liaison, facilitating cultural celebrations and informal events, and offering texting as a communication option. The study examined barriers to engaging with parents of Indigenous students, which included technological barriers, nonrecognition of family structures, and staff attitudes. The study revealed that schools that use texting as their primary form of communication scored higher on achievement tests
Investigating Changes to First Year, First-Generation Students’ Visual Thinking and Learning in an Academic Success Course
Get PDFThis mixed-methods case study investigated changes to first year, first-generation (FYFG) college students’ visual thinking and learning while enrolled in a 15-week academic success course (ASC) with a focus on meta-learning. The researcher found that a 5-week metalearning intervention within the ASC helped six focal participants enact changes to support their visual thinking and learning processes. Focal and class participants integrated a number of metacognitive strategies into their learning, such as writing notes in their own words (e.g., voice), monitoring their understanding, drawing ideas in their notes, and visualizing new ideas to support their learning. As focal participants applied these strategies more over the course of the semester they began to develop metacognitive knowledge and skills for their learning. As a result, focal participants learned about themselves as visual thinkers and learners, specifically how they learned best. Six ‘changes’ are discussed as well as participants reports of improved academic performance and learning, feelings of empowerment, confidence, and control over their learning. Additionally, class participants saw a significant increase in metacognitive awareness, and 21 of 24 class participants reported positive metacognitive gains as measured by the metacognitive awareness inventory (MAI). Considerations are given to integrating metacognitive and meta-learning objectives into traditional curriculum as well as developing first-year interventions that support first-generation students’ academic success and life-long learning capabilities
Perceived Responsibilities for the Language Proficiency of French Immersion Teachers
Get PDFThis mixed methods descriptive case study explored the perceptions of 162 leaders and French immersion (FI) teachers related to their roles and responsibilities for the target-language proficiency (TLP) of FI teachers in an urban school division.
To date, no research has explored leaders’ and FI teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the system as it relates to TLP. Results revealed inconsistent knowledge of university requirements, provincial requirements, and hiring and evaluation practices pertaining to the TLP of FI teachers.
Although leaders (94%) and FI teachers (93%) agreed that the TLP of FI teachers was very important and further agreed that ongoing development of TLP was essential throughout FI teachers’ careers, data indicated that only 60% of FI teachers would consider participating in activities related to the ongoing development of TLP if the division offered them. The study confirmed obstacles such as time and the need to focus on other types of professional learning beyond TLP, as previously noted in the literature.
Additionally, this study added to the body of literature by identifying the perceived responsibilities of leaders and FI teachers related to their responsibilities for the TLP of FI teachers. Results were analyzed using Senge’s learning organization framework.
The results and implications of this study may provide insight for school divisions about ensuring that TLP is viewed as a shared responsibility that is articulated and actioned in procedure and practice
Exploring Gendered Barriers to Higher Education Leadership for Women in Midlevel Student Affairs Roles
Get PDFThis qualitative case study explored the perceived barriers to leadership for female-identifying student affairs professionals at the midlevel who aspire to, but have not yet attained, a senior student affairs officer role. Women hold 71% of all student affairs positions in higher education compared to men; however, that majority shrinks to 56% for senior-level positions (Pritchard &McChesney, 2018). Thus, a study designed to explore gendered barriers to leadership was warranted. The research questions were designed to explore what barriers, if any, have participants experienced regarding their ability to move into a senior student affairs officer role and to what extent, if at all, participants experience higher education institutions as gendered organizations. A theoretical framework of gender role theory and gendered organizations was used to explore the research questions. The study was conducted in two phases; Phase 1 included a questionnaire in which participants (n = 32) responded to a series of statements about perceived barriers to leadership and gendered workplaces in student affairs. In Phase 2, follow-up interviews were conducted on a random selection of participants (n = 8) from Phase 1.
This study used a theoretical framework that combined the theories of gender role congruity (Eagly & Karau, 2002) and gendered organizations (Acker, 1990), which provided the context for investigating the role structures of the organizations in which participants worked and how social roles impact women’s paths to leadership within student affairs. Findings from the study indicated three themes related to personal barriers, which were impostor syndrome, work-life conflict, and showing emotion is unacceptable. Findings also revealed sociological barriers that included the nature of student affairs work, saying yes to everything, and religion’s influence on gender roles. Implications for practice, as suggested by participants, were a move to more flexible policies about work hours and locations, providing networking and mentoring opportunities, teaching men to be allies to women, and professional development opportunities focused on developing leadership skills
Pretty in Pink: Analyzing Microplastic Contamination in Hawaiian Coastal Ecosystems
No full textThis presentation explores my experience conducting microplastic research on Hawaiian mangrove and coastal ecosystems. As a non-native species to Hawaii, mangroves can be both beneficial and detrimental to its surrounding ecosystems. While they are generally a valuable resource in preventing erosion and providing food & habitat to various organisms, they can also harbor invasive species. Furthermore, the additional three-dimensional structure provided by the roots can encourage the accumulation of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles. Analyzing the presence of microplastics within mangrove ecosystems provides insight into this topic, as well as where & how microplastics collect in the environment.https://pilotscholars.up.edu/ase_internships_2021/1013/thumbnail.jp
What Does ATP Hygiene Monitoring Tell Us About Dirty and Clean Surfaces in the Postharvest Produce Environment?
No full textIntroduction: The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was enacted in 2011 to emphasize the prevention of foodborne illnesses in the food system. Within FSMA, the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) was the first rule with federal regulatory standards established for produce activities. One of the major components of the PSR is cleaning and sanitation in produce handling environments. To accommodate a wide variety of operations and equipment used, the regulation uses general terms for cleaning and sanitizing requirements, such as adequately cleaned... and ...when necessary and appropriate, sanitize... , which can be left to interpretation as to what constitutes adequately cleaned surfaces. Within the food industry, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay can be used to verify surface cleanliness, based on the reactivity of the luciferin-luciferase reagent with any ATP residue, resulting in light being emitted and measuring the presence of organic matter. ATP luminometer companies have set general thresholds of relative light unit (RLU) requirements, but there is lack of data on what these values mean in practice within different produce commodities and their environments.https://pilotscholars.up.edu/ase_internships_2021/1009/thumbnail.jp