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Exploring the Role of Student Stories in the College Admissions Appeals Process
Get PDFCurrent college admission criteria in the United States rely primarily on academic criteria, high school grade point average (HSGPA) and standardized test scores, including the ACT and SAT. These standards were identified more than 80 years ago, and little has changed for much of that time (Beale, 2012; National Association for College Admission Counseling, 2008). One distinct change that took place in 2020 was a large migration of institutions dropping the requirement of a standardized test score from their admission requirements (Fairtest, 2021). This was done in part because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which shut down many test sites (The Princeton Review, n.d.). These test-optional policy changes prompted an interest in the researcher to better understand what factors, other than HSGPA and test scores, could be used to predict college-level success as part of an admissions process. A review of existing literature identified that studies have been done to identify academic and non-academic factors that may correlate with college-level success. A notable gap in the reviewed literature identified that little had been done to explore how students’ narratives play a part in the admission process. Guided by Fisher’s (1989) narrative paradigm, this qualitative case study research explores how students choose to present their personal academic and non-academic factors in personal essays and how admission committees use those stories to offer an admission decision
Co-Teaching in the ELA Classroom: Content Teacher and ELL Specialist
Get PDFAs EL learners enter middle school, often language and literacy scores tend to stagnate. This research will delve into the opportunity to have two highly trained teachers within the classroom co-teaching English language arts with a focus on language development and compare that to the experience of students leaving the classroom each day for their pull- out EL instruction. Oftentimes teachers are placed into or have the best of intentions to start co-teaching, but one professional often ends up appearing to be the aide, or assistant. True co-teaching requires a relationship in which both members feel comfortable and confident in sharing their ideas and concerns. Cook and Friend go so far as to call a co-teaching situation a “professional marriage” (Cook 1995). English Language Learners are often removed from the content class to attend small group classes with the specialist. Ideally, remaining in the classroom during the school day would cut down on lost instructional time, reduce the stigma of needing to leave for additional services, build rapport with more adults as well as classmates and, of course, improve English language proficiency. This study is driven by the researchers desire to pave the way for students to connect their heritage language to their target language as efficiently and as accurately as possible. After two decades of teaching using the pull-out and transition check-in models, the opportunity to conscientiously and deliberately develop a co-teaching model that works for ELL students led to asking this question. How do ELLs’ reading skills and language acquisition in a co-taught setting compare to that of ELLs in a pull-out setting
Exploring the Effect of Optional Homework on Test Scores
No full textThis study focuses on the impact of optional homework on test scores in high school chemistry students. The focus is only on whether giving students the option of doing homework assignments will have any impact on test scores. Students were assessed with comprehensive unit tests. There are be two control groups and two experimental groups in this study. The research study took place in a Minnesota high school with eighty-four junior and senior students. It was found that students who received optional homework improved by 10.6% on average on test scores. That is a marked improvement from those receiving required homework, who only improved by 5.7%
Impacting Student Self-Efficacy in English/Language Arts: Using Student-Generated Questions in Small Group Discussions
Get PDFStudent engagement in the classroom can be a struggle for many teachers. Research shows that student engagement can be impacted by student self-efficacy in the classroom, and student engagement increases when participating in small group discussions and inquiry-based activities. This qualitative study aimed to understand the impact using student-generated questions in small group discussions had on student self-efficacy in the high school English/language arts classroom. A survey was created and given to 21 twelfth-grade student participants prior to and after using student-generated questions in three separate small group discussions in an elective English/language arts class. Qualitative data were also collected from student response journals completed after each small group discussion that used student-generated questions. Results indicate that student self-efficacy can change in a six-week period, both positively and negatively. However, the results of this study cannot be directly correlated between the use of student-generated questions in small-group discussion and changes in student self-efficacy in English/language arts
A grounded theory for the dissatisfaction of asynchronous online education among community college students
Get PDFAs higher education institutions face the pressures of decreasing enrollment, online education is experiencing significant growth. Students are attracted to asynchronous online courses’ flexibility but often have inconsistent experiences. Previous research focused on drivers of satisfaction for online learning; this study concentrated on identifying the drivers of dissatisfaction for asynchronous online delivery among community college students. This study utilized a survey and semi-structured interviews to generate a grounded theory answer to the drivers of dissatisfaction. A survey based on Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory model broadly identified the areas of most significant concern for students with experience with asynchronous online courses. That survey informed the question prioritization within the semi-structured interview process. The Charmaz Grounded Theory model was used to deconstruct, analyze, and reaggregate the data collected into a meaningful theory, the Theory of Dissatisfaction Contributors. The three contributing categories to the theory are a feeling of being unsettled, unaligned expectations, and operational challenges. Understanding these sources of dissatisfaction can help with student retention and success
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Get PDFExamining Teacher Leadership: Phenomenology of the Perceived Challenges of Being a Teacher Leader
Get PDFToday’s school leaders recognize that one person, mainly the principal, cannot adequately address the needs of all members of the school community. Many principals rely on teacher leaders to lead alongside them to further school improvement, knowing that the traditional way of thinking of school leadership as being the sole role of the principal is no longer effective or efficient. While K-12 teachers typically have a strong background in child development, psychology, and pedagogy, many lack experience in leading and facilitating adults and have little background in adult learning theory.
The purpose of this research is to determine how K-12 teacher leaders perceive the challenges of leading and facilitating adults. Working within Knowles Andragogy Adult Learning Theory, this phenomenological qualitative study analyzed eight teacher leaders in North Dakota school districts. Data was collected through open-ended interview questions and analyzed through coding the transcriptions of the interviews. The data revealed the group descriptions of the challenges that teacher leaders face when working with adults. Recurring themes included a lack of preparation for a leadership role, a lack of clarity in the role, being treated differently by colleagues, the importance of establishing trust among colleagues, a lack of evaluative feedback from administrators, frustrations regarding authentic decision making, and obstacles faced when initiating change. The goal is that this study can be utilized to inform further research in the area of teacher leader development for both school districts and higher education institutions.https://red.mnstate.edu/ijgll-infographics/1008/thumbnail.jp
The effects of a Shared Vision of Teacher Leadership on Classroom Teachers’ Instruction
Get PDFMany models of instructional teacher leadership exist in schools with various outcomes for teachers. The aim of this illustrative case study was to understand systemic alignment in a formal teacher leadership system and how this alignment impacted instructional change. This dissertation was framed by three research questions: 1) How do the rationales of teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators regarding teacher leadership in their school align? 2) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to engage with formal teacher leaders? 3) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to implement instructional changes?
A qualitative case study was conducted utilizing semi-structured interviews in one rural school in Minnesota. The participants included one K–12 principal, two high school teacher leaders, two high school teachers, two elementary teacher leaders, and two elementary teachers, and a district Q Comp Coordinator. Role theory (Biddle, 1979) was the theoretical framework used to analyze the data. The findings yielded two scenarios: The elementary in which systemic alignment and a positive engaging culture was associated with the teachers’ willingness to implement instructional change; and the high school in which a slight variation in the shared vision regarding ownership rendered role conflict, periods of teacher-teacher leader disengagement, and teacher instructional changes dependent upon feelings of ownership and relevance.A coherent and shared vision of teacher leadership is one factor that impacts classroom teachers’ instruction.https://red.mnstate.edu/ijgll-infographics/1007/thumbnail.jp
IMPLEMENTATION OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS (PBIS) AND ITS IMPACT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND PROBLEM BEHAVIORS
Get PDFPositive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been implemented across the United States in the effort to help diminish problem behaviors and increase academic success. Schools across the country are reporting an increase in numbers and intensity of problem behaviors. In addition, academic success after the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased in some school districts across the United States. Therefore, districts are looking for an intervention to help increase academics and decrease problem behaviors. With school districts already implementing PBIS, research studies and analyses are needed to ensure that the outcomes expected of PBIS are occurring. In addition, with the little research on the impact PBIS has in the middle school setting, this quantitative study looked closely at one midsize urban school district that is home to three middle schools. All data used in this study was existing data that was supplied by the selected school district. After receiving the data, a pre-post data analysis was conducted to see if there were any changes to academic success and problem behaviors after the implementation of PBIS
Reading Instruction, Interventions, and Process
Get PDFThe project Reading Instruction, Interventions, and Process is a handbook for how a school can implement a structured system for implementing a district-wide process for reading instruction and interventions. This handbook is an important resource because it explains how an entire reading instruction system could work within a school while also including specific interventions, a pathway for determining what students need, and steps for how to assess students for effectiveness of instruction. The purpose of this project was to provide teachers and schools with an all-encompassing document to explain specific reading instruction and interventions, so teachers know how to help their students. The handbook can be distributed to teachers who observe the author in the classroom to provide visiting teachers with information to utilize in their own practice. This project required a variety of research of reading instruction and how it is most effectively taught. I learned a great deal from reading the research and implementing the strategies learned. I have concluded that students are most successful when the school district has a systematic approach to instruction and assessment. Students are also most successful when they are explicitly taught reading skills