Search Constraints
« Previous |
1 - 50 of 1,906
|
Next »
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
- Creator:
- Nix, Samantha and Courtney, McKenzie
- Description:
- Children’s and adolescents’ social-emotional health is moving to the forefront of attention in schools, as depression, anxiety, and suicide rates are on the rise for youth (Bennett & Kalish, 2006). At the same time, students are experiencing intense academic demands, including an increased focus on grades, standardized test scores, and larger amounts of assigned homework (Kohn, 2006). While the interplay between social-emotional challenges and scholastic demands has been postulated upon in literature, there is little research on the effects of academic stress on the social and emotional health of elementary-aged students (Kohn, 2006). The present research study investigated parent, teacher, and student perspectives regarding homework on students’ social-emotional health using newly developed surveys. Additionally, teachers’ and parents’ awareness of homework policies at their respective schools and the primary purposes of why teachers assign homework were examined. The participants in this study were students in grades 3-6 (n = 213), their parents (n = 223), and their teachers (n = 16). While the results of this research are preliminary,the data provide some information regarding the lack of school homework policies, as well as misinformation about those policies among parents and teachers. Additionally, the data suggest that the impact of homework on students’ social-emotional health is inconsistent across raters, as parents and students perceive a more negative impact relative to teachers. Lastly, while research indicates teachers have good intentions for assigning homework (e.g., work ethic and independence/responsibility), prior research suggests homework is not often an effective way of teaching these skills. As a result of the current study, limitations, recommendations for future research, and suggestions for districts, educators, and parent advisory groups are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Roberts, Harry Joseph
- Description:
- The greatest problem facing the American educational system today is how to find enough qualified teachers. There are not enough young people entering the profession and too many teachers leaving. Considerable attention has been given to the economic factors and to the undesirable working conditions all too common in the teaching profession. It is the purpose of this study to identify and define the more important factors that contribute to the problem of recruitment and retention of teachers. It is the basic hypothesis of this study that one of the major reasons for this shortage is the attitude that many persons have toward the teaching profession. Potential teachers reject the profession; teachers withdraw from the profession because they do not enjoy the high prestige associated with the other learned professions.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- DeFazio, Adrienne Schaaf
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of using Voice Recording Technology (VRT) apps for tablets on beginning writers’ productivity, as measured by the number of words and ideas in their writing assignments. Since beginning writers are still developing their handwriting and spelling skills, the lack of automaticity for these skills may impact working memory during the translating component of the writing process, which consists of text generation, or formulating the actual words the writer wants to use, and transcription, which requires handwriting and spelling skills. The researcher wished to see if using VRT as a scaffolding tool for writing by recording words and sentences generated by emerging writers would mitigate the effects of handwriting and spellings difficulties on their ability to retain the text they generated in memory. The researcher compared writing productivity, as measured by counting the number of words and ideas, between assignments for the same writing prompt completed with and without VRT by two different groups of first grade students during an afterschool writing program. Since the students did not use VRT for all assignments, the researcher was also able to compare individual students’ writing productivity for assignments completed with and without VRT. No definitive conclusions were reached since using VRT improved writing productivity by varying degrees for some students but not for others. Possible reasons for the disparity include differences in text generation skills, oral language skills, and vocabulary knowledge, skills which were not measured by the researcher before the study. Also, the use of VRT may have been a distraction for some students. Nevertheless, VRT could be used as a scaffolding tool to differentiate writing instruction according to individual needs. Using VRT could also be a way to meet the California Common Core State Standards (2013), which require the incorporation of technology into the writing process as well as in collaboration with peers.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Fleming, Sheryl
- Description:
- Through a comparative case study between two low-income elementary schools this study explored the influences of future-focused or college-bound cultures on low-income students’ perceptions of and aspirations toward college and career pathways. Both schools had schoolwide initiatives focused around preparing students for the future. One had initiatives specifically around college-knowledge and developing leadership skills, while the other school focused on fostering global-thinkers and inquiry learners alongside their visual and performing arts magnet. The data collected through this study illustrate how school cultures and initiatives can influence the future aspirations of low-income students from the beginning of their educational careers, with the hopes of narrowing the perpetuated economic divide.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Melton, Donna
- Description:
- Recent education policy changes in California have affected the expectations and standards of kindergarten, making the curriculum more rigorous. It is necessary for students entering kindergarten to be prepared academically and social emotionally in order to be successful during the school year. Students that have not been exposed to foundational academic skills (i.e. letter and number identification, letter sound knowledge, and counting) prior to entering kindergarten, begin the year at a disadvantage. Similarly, students that have not yet developed appropriate social emotional skills for a classroom setting (i.e. managing emotions, interacting positively with others, and being able to focus during classroom activities) may have difficulty learning and reaching the end of year kindergarten standards. The purpose of this project is to provide parents the information and resources necessary to prepare their children for kindergarten. This project consists of a website that is aligned with the Oceanside Promise Kindergarten Readiness Checklist and has resources throughout that will expose young children to foundational pre-literacy and mathematic skills. It also lists some social emotional development skills on which parents can evaluate their children's readiness. The website features pages on the following themes: academic foundational skills, social emotional skills, oral language development, physical development, transitional kindergarten, end of year kindergarten standards, and additional resources. Each page provides information and/or resources that are intended to guide parents in preparing their child for kindergarten.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Vega, Edith
- Description:
- This project addresses the need for easy to use and follow resources for foreign language teachers who are interested in switching their traditional textbook based classes to Comprehensible Input and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling method based classes. The purpose of this project is to provide foreign language teachers with a unit of lesson plans to use Comprehensible Input and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling methods in their classrooms for the semester of their first year using these methods for a level 1 foreign language middle-high school class. The project consists of a website that includes a 16-week pacing guide unit of lessons along with examples of how to complete these activities and where to access more of these resources. This project is significant because it will allow teachers of foreign language who have been intrigued by Comprehensible Input and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling methods to feel more comfortable abandoning traditional textbook based classes and help their student successfully acquire the targeted language.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Grey, Andrée M.
- Description:
- The role of the leader in any organization is critical, but there has never been a more pivotal time than now as 21st century leaders prepare students for the future. The intersection of school culture and change leadership has been studied extensively in the change reform model, however, a small but growing body of research is now focused on cultures of innovation in schools and districts. This dissertation presents research on the vital role of the central office which has been previously understudied. This dissertation synthesizes the literature surrounding cultures of innovation as well as the role of the central office leaders. This qualitative case study presents findings underscoring and explaining the role of culture and climate in an innovative district as well as the supporting and constraining conditions and their effects. Study findings confirmed the central office is strongly poised to support cultures of innovation by 1) supporting a flatter more networked central office, 2) creating and enacting a shared vision of innovation including systems for organizational learning and efficacy and 3) most importantly, establishing a climate of trust. The findings revealed specific leadership skills for supporting the culture and climate which include building trusting relationships, enacting the vision and mission of innovation and building the capacity of other leaders. Implications for central office leaders are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Dawber, Christina
- Description:
- Self-compassion has been shown to bolster resilience (Leary, Tate, Adams, Batts Allen, & Hancock, 2007), intrinsic motivation (Neff, Hseih, & Dejitthirat, 2005), and a general sense of well-being (Arimitsu & Hofman, 2015) as students cope with academic and life stressors. While research has begun exploring gender as a factor for self-compassion in college students (Lockard, Hayes, Neff, & Locke, 2014; Neff, Pisitsungkagarn, & Hsieh, 2008; Yarnell, Neff, Davidson, & Mullarkey, 2019), and, to a lesser extent, race (Hayes, Chun-Kennedy, Edens, & Locke, 2011; Lockard at al., 2014), there still remains a critical void of literature. Self- compassion researchers who focused on college settings have yet to explore the intersection of gender and race and have failed to consider social class entirely. To address this void of literature, the following phenomenological study explored self-compassion in 10 single mother California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) students of color at a Southern California community college. Through a thematic analysis of individual interviews and take-home journals, four common experiences of emotional distress were identified: (a) Identification as a Welfare Recipient, (b) Academic Performance, (c) Ongoing Welfare-to-Work Requirements, and (d) Restricted Time With Child Dependents. Of these experiences, three elicited connections with intersectional oppression in the areas of gender, race, and social class, with one, Restricted Time With Child Dependents, excluding a connection with racial oppression. Common ways in which participants relate to themselves during these experiences, and in general, showed connections with less self-compassion in the areas of self-judgment and overidentification, with an even split in the area of isolation versus a sense of humanity. Participation in CalWORKs and Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education student support groups and workshops where students openly share personal adversities appeared to mediate this split. Findings from this study offer important implications for the use of an intersectional framework to examine complex topics like self-compassion and offer insight for the development of a group-appropriate self-compassion intervention. The findings also demonstrate a need for welfare reform and for community college leaders to better address the mental health of single mother CalWORKs students of color at their institutions.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Vargas, Pilar Guadalupe
- Description:
- California has a history of bilingual education, but once that was eliminated with Proposition 227 in 1998, dual language education programs took its place. Dual Language Education programs are the teaching of academic content in two different languages. They have been expanding nationwide with several different languages being incorporated into this model, such as Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, German, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. The draw for these programs has been to have students become better citizens in a global economy and to be able to participate within a diverse society. One of the concerns in regards to the expansion of dual language education is where the programs are being implemented and whom they are intended to serve. The trend is for affluent neighborhoods to have greater access to these dual language programs where there are a lower number of English learners and low-income students. These two demographic groups are not included in these dual language programs, which are considered advanced and rigorous. This case study is an in- depth look into one elementary school district in southern California with a high number of dual language programs, with many of them in affluent communities.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Olvera Leos, Salena
- Description:
- The purpose of this project is to provide educators a resource for creating social justice curriculum via professional development on Colorism. The research offers an explanation of colorism as it is currently understood, the historical significance of colorism, as well as examples of how it is perpetuated in society and school systems. Teachers will be given examples and resources of how to construct lessons around colorism with a focus around student voice as well as structured time to manipulate pre-generated lessons to fit the needs of their individual schools sites.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Briseno, Amy
- Description:
- Middle school is a time of transition for kids. They are leaving the security of one teacher and one class to seven teachers and multiple classes. They are maturing, becoming more independent, and finding their own identity. Many students struggle with all this change and really don't know how to express how they feel, so many act out in ways that are not appropriate. School can seem unimportant because they are preoccupied with thoughts about personal growth and peer relations. It is very important for middle school teachers to first, recognize this struggle, and second, find ways to motivate their students. This “problem” does not only concern middle school teachers. Lack of motivation is a problem for all teachers, at all levels. When the work gets hard, some students give up. Parents who do not value education can lead to a student’s disinterest in school. Another issue is technology, students have every answer at the tips of their fingers. It does not take much effort to find answers, and I believe they think school should be this way too, easy without much thought involved. Lack of motivation prevents learning. It is up to the teachers and staff to have a plan to meet the needs of their students socially and academically. The purpose of this project was to address student motivation through the principles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. With the help of my Professional Learning Community, (PLC), we created a unit covering American Reformers from the 1800’s. This unit was created to help educators create a motivating learning environment that ensured that each student’s academic and social needs were being met in middle school.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Casas, Martin
- Description:
- Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era many program improvement schools were prescribed Professional Learning Communities (PLC) professional development as a corrective action by their respective Local Education Agency (LEA). Despite the adoption and implementation of many corrective action measures (including PLC’s) recommended by LEA’s, the achievement gap persists in the majority high school campuses nationwide. Millions of dollars have been invested in the PLC method of collaboration with little systematic success in closing the achievement gap in standardized test scores, A – G requirements and college admission. There may be plenty of other factors contributing to the lack of improvement (i.e. instruction, grading practices, assessment of learning, interventions, attendance, student discipline, etc.) – but to what degree is the investment in Professional Learning Communities contributing (or not contributing) to this? Dufour & Eaker (1998, 2003, 2008) argue that schools with PLCs that are not improving student achievement is attributed to them not implementing the prescribed methodology with fidelity. However, could there be other reasons? A review of the literature identified gaps in the research that could provide other reasons: objective assessment of PLCs, as well as PLC autonomy and PLC trust. This cross - case study used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (Creswell, 2013) to analyze teacher perceptions of PLC fidelity, PLC autonomy and trust from two school sites in San Diego with similar student demographics, from the same school district, but with different trending student achievement results. Survey, interview, and field observation findings from this study suggested that Bayside High School and Parkview High School have similar PLC procedures, logistics and generally follow the Dufour & Eaker (1998; 2004) PLC model with fidelity. However, the findings also suggested that PLCs at Bayside High School have more autonomy and trust than PLCs at Parkview High School. The difference in PLC autonomy and trust could be one explanation for the difference in student performance. Additional findings also suggested that internal relationships, motivation, and vulnerability factors could be impacting PLC performance and student achievement at both sites.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Smith, Leah
- Description:
- This study explores the factors within a performing arts classroom environment that influence classroom community. Data was collected through student surveys and interviews as well as video observations. The findings show that routines have a positive impact on the classroom community when implemented in particular ways. The findings also show that the classroom environment overall is positive but that particular student relationships are challenging and influence how students work together. Implications focus on the implementation of routines, relationship building, and the understanding that not all classrooms operate the same.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Gonzalez, Marisela
- Description:
- For students in dual language education programs, there is beauty in the fact that their educational experience is in a multilingual environment with goals of high academic achievement, bilingualism and biliteracy, and cross-cultural competency. Through their experience in the program, students have shown growth in acquisition of both languages, however, not all are preforming at grade level. There are many reasons contributing to this problem, including a lack of materials and resources necessary to systematically teach language with thematic and authentic experiences that promote academic achievement and language acquisition. This curriculum project, designed for second grade dual language classroom, was developed to support the current curriculum in order to promote language acquisition and academic achievement by using the Understanding by Design Framework developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins. By intentionally planning the desired outcomes, formative and summative assessments that offer data in relation to the desired results, and finally, an intentional lesson plan with the focus of academic achievement and language acquisition via cooperative learning and thematic instruction, this curriculum seeks to offer second grade dual language educators a readily available resource for their classroom that promotes academic achievement and language acquisition for all students.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Dziubinski, Andrene
- Description:
- To artfully capture the power of purposeful recognition is to capture the very quintessence of the human experience; it provides context to not only the outward dynamics of a community, but also to the internal emotional welfare of the constituents. Energy in the form of words and/or gestures is shared, received, transferred, and continuously repurposed in a beautiful exchange, and in doing so, serves to build as well as sustain a healthy organizational culture. Apply this ideology to an educational setting and the purpose behind this research is revealed. The idea that purposeful recognition can, and does, have a palpable impact on school culture and community; that it strengthens bonds between colleagues, cultivates improved self-worth as well as well-being, and ultimately serves to enhance overall morale and productivity of teachers, staff, and administration. Purposeful recognition is at the very core of a truly thriving school culture; it is in no uncertain terms the very heartbeat which supplies the lifeblood of the organization; it is the foundational belief that trust must be cultivated with care and used in wholehearted, authentic exchanges of gratitude. The confirmed belief that purposeful recognition does indeed possess the uncanny power to both inspire as well as sustain a stable school culture is at the heart of this research. Indeed, viewed in its entirety, this cause and effect dynamic between purposeful recognition practices and the formation of a healthy school community come together to contribute to the field of education; to not only provide proven research on the topic, but to also offer a site specific as well as educationally based example of the power of purposeful recognition on school culture.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Andrews, Jennifer
- Description:
- Military connected students are children that lead interesting lives. They require social-emotional supports to help them manage the stresses they encounter in order to be successful at school. This study intends to determine how teachers perceive effective strategies for supporting the social-emotional needs of military students and provide insight on whether a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework or Social-Emotional Learning approach would best serve the target school population. A mixed methods research plan was utilized as a means to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Results from a survey and interviews of pre-K-eighth grade teachers from one school on a military base were analyzed using a Likert scale and coding. This study revealed that teachers are supporting students based on their own experiences and knowledge of military students despite inconsistencies in behavior management across the target school. Due to the limited research of how schools are supporting military students through a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework or Social-Emotional Learning approach, this study may contribute insight to schools that serve military bases and their students throughout the United States.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ayala, Jasmin
- Description:
- Literacy skills are the foundational skills that students need in order to be able to successfully read and write. For many students these skills are well developed before they commence kindergarten from the exposure to oral communication and nursery rhymes in their home setting. However, due to the lack of exposure and language ability, many students that are considered English Language Learners come into kindergarten lacking the basic literacy skills that they need to succeed. In addition, Latino parents have reported facing barriers when trying to acquire the skills and strategies to assist their children at home (Durand, 2011). This project was created with the purpose of educating Spanish speaking Latino parents on literacy strategies that they can utilize at home with their children. This nine week workshop series provides parents with the opportunity to learn how to achieve mastery of a standard a week using a bilingual book so that in turn they can practice these skills and strategies at home with their children.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ruiz, Veronica L.
- Description:
- This mix-methods study analyzes both quantitative and qualitative data to find overarching characteristics of reclassified English language learners. Participants in this study included nine fifth-graders who met the district requirements for reclassification before their fifth year of school. Characteristics of reclassified English language learner interviews were perseverance, encouragement and support from families and teachers, long-term goals, biliteracy, and initial English proficiency.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Sanchez, Valerie
- Description:
- The importance of creating lifelong readers has been always been a value to all teachers because it is critical factor that contributes to a student’s academic success. Accelerated Reader has been implemented among schools across the nation to engage students into reading and used as a tool to measure student learning in reading achievement. Research on Accelerated Reader reveals that the reading program has contradictory findings of having a positive and negative effect on students. A qualitative research design was used to investigate whether and how Accelerated Reader effects students’ perceptions as reader and attitudes towards reading. A total of 25 second graders provided qualitative data with responses to a survey and interview. Classroom observations were also made over the six-week period of the study. Analyses of student behaviors, responses, and comments led to identification of important themes related to the students’ experiences with Accelerated Reader. The results showed that Accelerated Reader did affect students both positively and negatively.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Evans, Crystal
- Description:
- While increasing the number of women in science-related careers has long been researched, women are still underrepresented in the world of science. In an effort to gain more information about what is leading to low numbers of women wanting to pursue the sciences, this study researches if middle school students believe they can be scientists and how their experiences in the classroom, their backgrounds, and their exposure to role models in the sciences shape their desire to go into science related fields. This study includes three data collections: a student survey, a parent survey, and student focus groups. The study found that males (81.6%) and females (88.9%) both have positive views of science and see the science classroom as fun. It was also found that 24.5% of males and 21.4% of females plan on studying science in college. However, only 9.3% of females identified a desire to have a career in the sciences, as opposed to 26.5% of males. Parental opinions play a role in how students see themselves in the world of science. This was evidenced by 85.7% of the boys reporting they are good at science and 53% reporting their families saw them as good at science. However, only 44.4% of female students reported they are good at science and 44.4% reported their family sees them as being good at science. Both students and parents believe boys are better at science than females, which could be the result of a fixed mindset. Role models play a role in how female students see themselves in the world of science with only 12.5% of the scientists that students were able to name being female. Based on these findings, I would recommend that students should be explicitly taught about growth mindset, how the sciences are used in different careers to address a variety of societal concerns, and the contributions of females to the sciences.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Plantz, Martha
- Description:
- Implementation of the new common core state standards in mathematics and research surrounding the skills 21st century students need to be successful has demanded a shift in how mathematics is taught. Teachers are life-long learners and require effective professional development in order to help them better their teaching practices to meet the needs of 21st century students. This project provides a curriculum for a professional development workshop to support mathematics teachers in learning best teaching practices. The curriculum was created by reviewing relevant literature about both teaching practices as well as effective professional developments, attending professional developments myself, and collaborating with staff at my school site. Included in the curriculum are two seven-hour workshop activities, a commitment to change, and a feedback survey.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Cortes, Melissa
- Description:
- This project explores the importance of implementing physical education in the elementary school setting. Physical education is beneficial for students and required by the state of California, but it can be difficult for general teachers to implement. The literature review explores five themes: the health crisis of youth and how school can address this with physical education, physical education for students in urban areas, lack of support and teacher training for physical education, capitalizing on the minutes dedicated to physical education by reaching moderate to vigorous physical activity, and using gamification to capture student interest in physical education. The curriculum is designed for third grade students and includes 3-units designed for 3 weeks, with 4 lessons per week, at 35 minutes per lesson. Each lesson will include: Materials, Physical Education Standards, English Language Development Standards, Objectives, Assessments, Vocabulary, Set Up Instructions, Instructional Steps, and Handouts. Limits that aroused in the implementation of the Wellness curriculum included a lack of family communication, professional input, equipment limitations, and lack of school-wide professional development. In conclusion, having a positive experience participation in physical activities can affect the confidence and likelihood that student will continue participation throughout their adult life. This will directly impact their health and wellbeing for the rest of their life. Therefore, it is important to implement a quality program in elementary school.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- White, Miriam
- Description:
- As teachers take on more roles during the school day, the push for efficiency is crucial. Teachers spend a lot of their time in professional development and professional learning communities trying to obtain knowledge and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. Many teachers appear overworked and struggle to help their students achieve academic success. Teachers are tired and confused as to why students are not making the grade. So often concepts are taught and misunderstood by students. Teachers feel defeated by the results of under achieving students. Educators too often say they’ve taught the reading and English Language Arts skill to the best of their ability but are confused as to why students are still underperforming. This project was developed to help teachers become more efficient at spending their time addressing student mastery of the standards that student do not understand. This tool will help teachers to analyze data and reteach the standards students do not know in order to improve academic success for all their students.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Terrell, Abigail
- Description:
- Immigrant and refugee-background children are a growing population in public schools in the United States. For many, their pre-migration, transmigration and post-migration experiences are painted with violence, war, separation, food insecurity, fragmented schooling, loss, and trauma. The themes discovered through a literature review of immigrant and refugee education confirmed that: immigrant children are marginalized and left behind in the U.S.; teachers need support, resources, training, especially in cultural competence; academic success greatly impacts immigrant children’s overall well-being; critical self-reflection is an essential tool for improving outcomes for this population; and literacy is the social justice issue to address in refugee and immigrant education. The purpose of this project is to support educators with a personal and professional growth experience that prepares them to use CAP (Cultural-Academic-Psychological) Intervention methodology (Igoa, 1995, 2014). Through CAP, a compassionate, creative and critically-conscious pedagogy, teachers can effectively reach and teach immigrant and refugee-background children, providing them with a truly equitable education.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
25. Supporting Equitable Teaching Through Collaborative Planning In Advanced Placement Physics Classes
- Creator:
- Terrill, Robert
- Description:
- A study was carried out to investigate the effects of two different teachers on their Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 courses and how collaboration between them affected the students. The main research question: How can collaboration among physics teachers enhance learning experiences for all students enrolled? The sub-questions focused on looking at what differences existed and how collaboration could promote equity between the student groups. Two classes, each taught by different teachers, were part of this study. The study consisted of a series of four lessons which were planned at various levels of collaboration. Students participated in surveys after each lesson. The two participating teachers were interviewed. At the end of the students’ unit of study data was collected through an exam to investigate the level of retention and application from each lesson. It was found that the students benefited from teaching which was based on lessons that the teacher used before. Student performance during formative assessment questions in the post-lesson surveys were several percentage points higher following lessons where the teacher had taught a similar lesson in the past. It was also found that teachers who were teaching lessons that had been planned by the other teacher felt less comfortable when presenting the lessons. This finding was chiefly based on post-lesson interview responses where teachers shared difficulties relating to teaching unfamiliar content. Finally, it was found that teachers participating in a collaboratively planned lesson felt the lesson was more balanced (based on interviews) and the data suggests students responded well to this lesson (based on the surveys and final document collection). Based on these findings, it is recommended that teachers are not required to teach pre-planned lessons, but instead should play an active role in developing the curriculum and co-planning the lessons. As well, it is recommended that teachers take opportunities to collaboratively plan lessons, both for the benefit of their students and their own professional development.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Powe, Jacqueline
- Description:
- Parents of first generation students, specifically Latinos, face many barriers as they attempt to guide their students through a school system they are unfamiliar with. This curriculum project seeks to provide the necessary cultural capital for parents to confidently help their children at home and advocate for them at school. Increased parental involvement beginning at the elementary level has potential to boost student achievement and in turn increase Latino high school graduation rates and college enrollment. The curriculum uses four engaging Spanish workshops to provide parents with necessary insight into the American school system. The workshops provide information and resources regarding 5th grade curriculum, the structure of middle school, resources to help at home, and high school exit requirements. Each workshop has been developed in Spanish with a purpose of overcoming language and structural barriers by providing adequate resources and information for parents to confidently and successfully guide their student on their college pathway.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Barrows, Mercer
- Description:
- As authors Bigelow, Harvey, Karp, and Miller (2004) explain, part of social justice in the classroom includes a participatory and experiential environment, and to not provide that would be socially unjust. Therefore, I wanted to figure out how I can engage students in a way of learning that supports deeper learning, thinking, and engagement by implementing active learning instructional strategies. Why active learning instruction? As Minhas (2012) studied, direct instruction is significantly less effective for student’s learning and engagement, and active learning instruction is shown to produce significant learning gains and engagement. Therefore, my research investigates: How can I can the students in my physics classes to engage in active learning? In order to arrive at a solution, I needed to understand how my students were currently experiencing learning in science class. To guide this investigation, I answered these subquestions: How are students experiencing learning through direct instruction? How are students experiencing learning through active learning instruction? And when do students participate in science class? The results are as follows: students want some initial direct instruction, and find most of the strategies very helpful; students find most active learning strategies very helpful, after some direct instruction; and students prefer to participate in small groups, and not during whole class discussions.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Fryan, Gregory
- Description:
- Severe behavioral and social emotional problems can manifest from adverse childhood experiences and personal trauma. In middle school adolescents, this translates to behaviors that disrupt normal school day operations and threaten the safety of the students. To address the harmful effects of trauma and mediate the negative behaviors manifested from adverse childhood experiences, one district developed the Trust, Relationships, Empowerment, and Choice program. The program used highly individualized and intensive Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports strategies and trauma-informed practices to support the highest at risk middle school students. The goal of the program was to help at risk students develop behavior management and coping skills through social emotional learning. This study investigated the behavioral change and the perceptions of the students who participated in the program. Behavior data, including incident counts and severity, and survey data was analyzed. The behavior data before students joined the program were compared to behavior data collected while the students were in the program to determine if the students changed their behaviors. The survey asked students to reflect on their typical behaviors before the program and describe what they learned in the program to gain perspective on how the students’ perceptions changed. The results of this study showed that all students who participated in the program made positive behavior changes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Miranda, Melissa
- Description:
- This study focused on factors that influence student-to-student oral communication in a dual immersion classroom. Drawing from observations, a survey, and video recordings, the findings reveal that the learning time of day shapes oral language production and that student-to-student oral communication is increased through peer support. Implications focus on the structure of learning blocks to facilitate student-to-student oral communication in the target language, as well as ways to encourage students to communicate within the classroom.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Salyer, Sara
- Description:
- Students who receive special education services are at a heightened risk of being marginalized. A lack of inclusion in the peer social system within the school (Akin & Neumann, 2013; Chen, Hamm, Farmer, Lambert, & Mehtaji, 2015), the labeling of students under a type of disability (Akin & Neumann, 2013; Lalvani, 2015), and the perception of differences amongst their general education teachers and peers (Chen, et al., 2015; Lalvani, 2015) have all been cited as contributing to the marginalization of students who receive special education services. Both general and special educators need to examine their practices within the classroom so that they can ensure all students are treated and viewed as equally important participants. This focus and shift in practices will help to create an effective learning environment for all students as well as a positive model for inclusion outside of the classroom, reducing or eliminating marginalization. The purpose of this project is to address and ultimately eliminate the marginalization of students who receive special education services in inclusive, co-taught classrooms through a co-teacher professional development training, focusing on co-teaching strategies, effective inclusive practices, and collaboration. The professional development is designed for middle school or high school teachers who participate in inclusive, co-taught classes. It could easily be adapted for elementary co-teachers and students who participate in inclusive, co-taught classes.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Price, Amy
- Description:
- Whatever grade we may teach, students come to the classroom with varying background knowledge on different topics, literacy skill development, and overall interest in reading. In most of my experiences, students are often given very little time in the classroom to construct their own interpretation of a text based on personal experiences and cultural background. Additionally, students are usually grouped by reading levels, assigned a book to read, and given vocabulary and comprehension tests that have a predetermined interpretation. As a result, classroom reading becomes a different type of reading than how we read outside of school. The purpose of this project was to create a resource guide that teachers at my school site, grade 3-6, can use to implement book clubs in their classrooms that reflect 21st century learning. The resource guide includes live video links, ready to use resources, photos of student samples, and a sample book club unit with my current 4th graders. Using an adaptable book club framework where student choice is valued, reading in the classroom has the potential to mirror reading in the real world and foster a positive attitude toward reading.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Bess, Cynthia
- Description:
- This thesis reflects a study focused on students’ willingness to seek out help when they are struggling. Drawing upon classroom observations, student surveys, student interviews, and teacher interviews in a fourth-grade classroom in Southern California, the findings suggest that students do not seek out help because they want to fit in with their peers. In addition, it shows that extrinsic motivations increase students’ willingness to seek out expedient help, and the perceptions of the one giving help influences students’ willingness to seek help. Implications include lowering the risk factor for peer judgments by creating private opportunities to seek help, putting less of a focus on grades which allows students to seek out adaptive help rather than expedient help, creating relationships with students that encourage help-seeking, and being cognizant of how busy you are appearing to students.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Grimmer, Mackenzie
- Description:
- This curriculum project is a Middle School Humanities unit that uses Task Menus to increase student choice and engagement levels. To design a humanities curriculum with Task Menus, this project used Multiple Intelligences, Blooms’ Revised Taxonomy, Differentiation, and Student Choice to inform the content and instruction. The project contains a 2-week learning unit on the Feudal System in Medieval Europe. The essential questions for this unit are: How well did feudal system establish order in Europe in the Middle Ages? At the end of the unit, each day the curriculum provides a Task Menu that includes: musical, spatial, verbal, mathematical, and kinesthetic options for students to share knowledge and understanding of Medieval Europe. These Task Menu options are organized into six different taxonomy levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Each lesson contains California Social Studies Standards, California English Language Development Standards, Objectives, Assessments, Materials, Instructional Steps, and Handouts.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ceballos, Jessica
- Description:
- Often times, parents believe that because they do not speak English, they cannot support their student’s literacy skills at home. There is also a common misconception that if students learn English and Spanish simultaneously, they will suffer in English language and literacy. However, there is research that proves that if students are literate in their native language, they actually pick up English literacy skills quicker than if they were not literate in their native language. There is also research that demonstrates the positive impact of parent involvement on student academics. Using this information, I have compiled resources that will provide English and Spanish-speaking parents with simple, yet effective strategies to support literacy growth in upper grade elementary students.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Monaco, Sophia
- Description:
- This qualitative study explored the participation habits of honors math students enrolled in a sophomore level honors math class. Data was collected through the use of a survey, semi-structured interviews, and class observations to provide information on students’ reasons for participating and modes of participation. The student participants indicated that they felt most comfortable participating when they understood the material being discussed, when the lesson included a game or activity, and when they were given the opportunity to work and discuss ideas in small groups. Participants were less likely to participate when they were unsure about the correctness of their answers because they were concerned about how their peers would judge their answer. Implications of this study focus on teaching practices that encourage participation and the environment that teachers create in math classes.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Schuman, Taylor
- Description:
- This study focused on understanding how teaching supports students with reading comprehension in 6th-grade English Language Arts classes. Data was collected through student interviews and surveys, as well as examinations of teaching and teaching materials. Findings suggest that while technology-based instruction supports the tracking of students’ performance, it is only somewhat effective in helping students develop their reading comprehension. In addition, it was found that purposeful scaffolding and direct instruction supports student success. Implications include a need for teachers to use scaffolding and direct instruction and for more research to be done for different technology-based reading programs.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Marta, Diana
- Description:
- English Language Learners (ELLs) continually struggle with comprehending informational texts. In addition, many teachers find it challenging to support ELLs, especially in the area of science. The purpose of this project is to promote an approach to integrated curriculum that supports, develops, and strengthens the literacy skills of third-grade ELL students in a Dual Language Education program. The literature shows the benefits of Dual Language Education programs and demonstrates how an integrated instruction supports the development of reading comprehension skills for ELLs. Therefore, this project is a Life Cycles and Traits two-week science unit that integrates literacy and ELD standards. The goal of this curriculum is to engage students in science-related activities while simultaneously acquiring and developing their reading comprehension skills.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ramirez, Allison
- Description:
- Writing is a powerful tool and essential skill for all students. It allows students to communicate, develop their knowledge, and reflect on what they have learned. Writing is meant to be a process, with brainstorming, drafts, revising, editing, and publishing. All too often teachers do not devote enough time to the instruction of writing, due to lack of time or insufficient training. The purpose of this project is to provide curriculum in the form of three writing units (Narrative, Informational, and Opinion) using writer’s workshop strategies. These units provide a framework and protocols for teachers to work from, so they can provide writing instruction that is engaging, relevant, and challenges upper elementary school students to become better writers.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Camacho, Candice
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to determine if discipline rates improved, worsened or stayed the same after one year of tier-one Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) implementation in one small middle school. PBIS is an evidenced-based framework that is implemented school-wide in attempt to improve student behavior and make schools safer. There were three prominent themes identified in the literature review: unintended consequences, factors for at-risk youth and alternatives to suspension. The literature reviewed also confirmed PBIS as an effective method to decrease suspension rates. The study focused on quantitative data using the California Department of Education’s Dataquest and California School Dashboard for 5th through 8th graders in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years. A casual-comparative design with a focus on a transformative worldview was used in this study. The data collected indicated that suspension rates worsened after one year of PBIS implementation; however, a variety of factors may have contributed to this outcome. The study supports that further longitudinal and qualitative data is warranted.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Bamford, Dawn
- Description:
- Behavior and discipline are major issues in our classrooms and campuses today. Traditional discipline, behavior management strategies that have been used in the school systems over the centuries, has been connected to the school to prison pipeline; removing students from the class and the education that they are in need of, allows for students to fall further into the cracks. According to the ACLU, “This failure to meet educational needs increases disengagement and dropouts, increasing the risk of later court involvement.” (2018). Teachers are spending too much time on discipline and discipline procedures and not enough time teaching students and meeting their academic needs. According to Barbetta, Norona, and Bicard in their 2004 study, “Many teachers face larger class sizes, more students who come from stressful, chaotic homes, and increased diversity in students’ abilities and cultures.” (2005). Traditional discipline practices, including student suspension and expulsion adversely impact student achievement and graduation rates by removing students from the classroom, thus impeding their learning. Restorative Discipline and Restorative Justice have been discussed as an alternative to suspensions. The purpose of Restorative Practices is to improve and repair relationships within a community, in this instance, the school community. Restorative Practices has its roots in many ancient religions, especially Aboriginal and Native American religions, many studies show that most eastern religions do have a connection to this form of justice, as well. “The roots of restorative justice models also stem from traditional Aboriginal methods of conflict resolution that rely on community involvement and implementation of holistic solutions. The continued overrepresentation of Aboriginal peoples in correctional institutions in Canada has led to demands for more (Aboriginal) traditional approaches, such as sentencing circles, for Aboriginal offenders,” according to Canada’s Effective Discipline 5 Department of Justice. This study is analyzing the possible benefits of student engagement and attendance with the inclusion of Restorative Practices in Alternative School settings.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Rapczynski, Lori
- Description:
- The Common Core Literacy Standards are the anchor of everyday classrooms. However, not all students meet the expectations set forth in them. Common Core Literacy Standards define cross disciplinary literacy expectations that must be met for students to be prepared to enter college and workforce training programs and be ready to succeed by the end of each grade level. Although a few students are developing the critical thinking skills to meet the Common Core Standards, there are many times during literacy instruction in the classroom that students feel overwhelmed by assignments meeting Common Core standards in reading and writing. Students struggle with managing their emotions while learning to read, which effects their effort and progress in reading. As the literacy expectations increase so does a struggling reader’s frustration. The purpose of this project was to develop a resource guide for educators to integrate the social and emotional curriculum in the classroom for students to make academic progress in reading and writing. The teachers participated in a professional development workshop to share times, investigate lessons from resource guide, and practice using Hyperdocs. This is a small step in an effort to address the lack of social and emotional curriculum in the classroom along with the challenges that students face while meeting grade-level reading standards.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Horton, Josefina
- Description:
- Students exited from newcomer classes face all the hurdles of learning new material while also struggling with cultural and linguistic isolation. Unsurprisingly, when released into the general population, these students tend to flounder and fail in part due to both the sudden retraction of academic support and the loss of the camaraderie with their newcomer peers. Research suggested that structured, short-term tutoring can be effective when administered to students in small groups. Delivering this tutoring to the newcomer population, however, presents challenges for socio-economic reasons such as difficulties with transportation and limited access to materials at home. This case study investigated the effects of a month-long, after-school, one-to-one tutoring program on an exited newcomer in his regular classes. Collected data sources included teacher surveys, student interviews and student inventories, QRI-6, and reflective journals. The data provided a multifaceted view of the student’s academic and relational growth. The findings revealed that the tutoring program provided impactful academic and literacy support for the exited newcomer in this case study as measured by both academic gains and perceptions of teacher and student. The student viewed the tutoring process as positive and helpful. His interest in reading grew, and his use of tutoring became more strategic and premeditate.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Rasheed, Lawrence
- Description:
- The research cannon on Black males must be expanded and balanced. The research is replete with deficiencies and derogatory data; however Black males’ literacy data appears draconian. The purpose of this project was to create a toolkit intended to help educators by way of shedding light on Black Male Studies and its impact on Black male literacy development. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) The Nation’s Report Card (2017), Black males are at the bottom of every reading indicator. However, does this barometer accurately compute the literacy trajectory of Black males? Black Male Studies is a relatively new field of studies and it is the undergirding framework utilized for this project. This project includes a professional development course that offers a Black Male “Lit” Educational Cool-Kit. The title of this educational tool kit is derived from Poet Laurate and Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks’ We Real Cool. This professional development includes strategies that educators might utilize when planning instruction based on their knowledge, or lack thereof regarding Black male literacy development in relationship to Black Male Studies.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Petersen, Adam
- Description:
- Although significant gains have been made in recent years with regard to increasing access to higher education for African Americans, with 38.4% of Black 18 to 24 year-olds enrolled in college as of 2016 compared to just 25.4% in 1990, completion rates have not kept pace. The national six-year graduation rate for Black students at four-year institutions in 2008 was 40.9%, considerably lower than their White peers’ rate of 63.2% (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). Students that persist at their institutions through the first two years are significantly more likely to graduate (Adelman, 2006), but retention in the first two years is a particular challenge for Black students: one-fifth of all Black students who successfully complete the first year leave before the beginning of the third (Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange, 2015). Focusing on this second year, then, could provide a meaningful path to increasing graduation rates for Black students at four-year institutions. This study focused on the second year but narrowed that focus further to Black second-year students using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, starting with a quantitative inquiry into the factors that contribute to retention for all second-year students at a regional, comprehensive, four-year institution in southern California. The follow-up qualitative phase concentrated on Black students at the institution and their second-year experiences. The results of the quantitative phase suggest that second-to-third year retention is influenced by students’ senses of belonging and connection to the institution, which positively influences both their commitment to the institution and their academic engagement, which has its own direct, positive effect on retention. Belonging is, in turn, strongly influenced by positive relationships with student peers and faculty. The qualitative results highlight Black student experiences across six themes that suggest the importance of student involvement, membership in multiple campus communities, relationships with faculty, and positive self-concepts, as well as the strong negative effect of racial separation. The implications of these results benefit practitioners and researchers who are looking to make positive changes for second-year students on their campuses and improve both experiences and outcomes for Black students.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Steitz, Julie
- Description:
- Large studies of the 13 southern United States and California reveal an issue of equity and project far-reaching social consequences. Disciplinary disproportionality has affected the way students of color interact with the public-school system by historically providing harsher disciplinary procedures. One promising program, known as restorative justice, includes the voice and involvement of students in their discipline as they repair the relationships that have been affected by their misdeeds through the use of restorative practices. Discussion groups, circles, and mediations are facilitated by trained adults to improve decision making, and empathy while enhancing the school climate. The implementation of restorative justice practices may assist schools in closing the chasm that exists for students of color within the school disciplinary structure as well as improving school climate by offering an empathetic alternative in confronting bullying. This qualitative case study examined teacher and student perceptions of student behavior and school climate as a result of administrative implementation of restorative practices. Anonymous on-line teacher questionnaires, individual teacher interviews and student focus group data were used to reach conclusions. Both teachers and students saw changes in communication, relationships and discipline as being influenced by the introduction of restorative practices.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Reed, Kimberly
- Description:
- Opportunities for deep, sustained organizational change exist when teachers are included in the conception and implementation of the reform model. Yet top down, hierarchical systems push teachers farther away from this process instead of drawing them closer. Leaning on theoretical frameworks that indicate that teachers build collective understanding through the relationships and networks they establish and those decisions ultimately impact the organization as a whole, this study seeks to understand collaboration within a reform effort. Situated in a district deeply entrenched in hierarchical processes, Grand Avenue School offers a glimpse into a organization grappling with a site initiated reform effort. Layering Social Network Analysis with journal entries for depth, staff members at Grand Avenue helped to paint a portrait of collaboration using positive moments of both formal and informal interactions. This study found that teacher leadership emerged, shifted and changed as the need presented itself and the participant had the knowledge and skills to meet it. Both formal and informal roles had the ability to mediate the flow of information throughout the network and to push the work of collaboration to levels that impacted pedagogy and teachers thinking about teaching and learning. Importantly, the study also found that strong personal relationships produced deeper levels of collaboration. These findings imply the need for re-visioning schools as open, flexible systems that are reflective of local talent within the organization, requiring that systems and structures be revised to create space for local expertise to rise up to meet local challenges. They also underscore the importance of relationships; relationships that are capable of supporting the meaningful conversations required for deep collaboration and knowledge exchange. Recommendations for future research are also presented.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Vogel, Sara
- Description:
- Leadership skills continue to be a priority for the economy, therefore it is imperative for colleges and universities to meet this demand by developing leadership skills in their students. Although concepts of leadership have been explored throughout student development literature, there remains a lack of research on the process by which an undergraduate student develops a leadership identity. The Leadership Identity Development (LID) model was created using grounded theory research to provide guidance on this development process. Various studies have used the LID model as a theoretical framework to explore the leadership identity development of specific populations of undergraduate students including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students and Hispanic female students. Asian/Pacific Islanders (API) are the second fastest growing racial population in the United States and most reside in California, however, less than 1% of research articles in the most popular peer-reviewed journals of higher education pertain to API students, few of those pertaining to API leadership. This comparative case study utilized the LID model to better understand the leadership identity development of twenty API undergraduate female students in Southern California. Data analysis of the qualitative interviews revealed the women experienced leadership identity development trajectories that followed the progressive stages of the LID model. The influences of the participants’ Inner Circles, Outer Circles, and Environmental Circles were critical to their leadership development. Additionally, the women developed personal styles of leadership that emphasized advocacy, care, and service, further proving that API women develop leadership identities in unique ways.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Clements, Cynthia
- Description:
- Numerous studies suggest that Title I schools need to find new and innovative ways to involve parents and engage them in the learning process. The purpose of this project was to develop a website and pamphlet to help parents at Title I schools learn effective strategies to encourage kindergarten literacy readiness in their students. It explores the relationship between parents and schools and how to best implement an effective partnership between the two. Additionally, the project offered both web-based and paper pamphlets for parents so that they can learn more about classroom expectations and how to help their students succeed. Both the webpage and pamphlet included explanations of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), community resources to help with education, and practical games to incorporate into home learning. This project helped to build parent teacher collaboration early in the student’s academic career and encourage parents to understand today’s classroom standards of learning.
- Resource Type:
- Project
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Pledger, Michelle Sadrena
- Description:
- Despite numerous education reform efforts, national academic achievement data continues to reflect a marked disparity between culturally and linguistically diverse students and their white counterparts. Currently, 50% of K-12 public school students are students of color, and this percentage is projected to increase as the cultural composition of United States diversifies. Research indicates that, regardless of race, the vast majority of educators are not adequately prepared to respond to the academic and socioemotional needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students, further emphasizing the need for legitimate reform in educational policy and pedagogical practice. This study explored how the practice of culturally responsive pedagogy can help close opportunity gaps and improve instructional practices and academic success rates for students of color. The study takes a comprehensive look at federal policy, theoretical frameworks, and the foundations of culturally responsive pedagogy. It goes on to examine culturally responsive pedagogy in practice, as well as teacher, school, and leadership characteristics that help promote a culturally responsive educational environment. This multiphase mixed methods approach utilized surveys, background questionnaires, and case study data from self-selected improvement pathways to 1) better understand the intersectionality of teachers’ backgrounds and beliefs and its impact on pedagogical behavior, and 2) identify the impact of collegial coaching and personalized professional development design on the improvement of culturally responsive teaching and classroom management self-efficacy. The study found that cultural disposition awareness, values-influenced teaching philosophy, and propensity for professional growth impact culturally responsive teaching behavior. The study also determined that culturally responsive pedagogy self-efficacy beliefs, which are predictive of behavioral change, increased for teachers in all three improvement pathways, though the extent of increase varied based on the selected pathway and case study participant. These findings have implications for practice as teachers can improve their ability to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and implications for policy, in that schools and districts can design policy that supports effective implementation of professional development and coaching that centers on cultivating self-efficacy in culturally responsive instruction for the purpose of improved academic and socioemotional outcomes for all students.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Wood, Carmen
- Description:
- This case study documents shifts in teachers’ perceptions of themselves and of their English learner students as they participated in a professional learning experience using collaborative inquiry in combination with specialized coaching specific to English Language Development and mathematics instruction. This integrated model of professional learning was based on recommendations across the literature for effective professional learning for teachers of English learners. The researcher used a mixed methods approach combining data from a pre and post Likert-type survey with data gathered from extensive teacher discourse recorded during group discussions and one-to-one interviews. The participants in this study consisted of 4 elementary classroom teachers and two specialist instructional coaches who collaborated to increase conceptual understanding and mathematical discourse for their English learner students. The results indicate positive shifts in teachers’ perceptions of their abilities to meet the needs of their English learner students. More importantly, the results indicate significant positive shifts in teachers’ perceptions of their English learner students as a result of participating in the professional learning experience. This study recommends the replication of this professional learning model across the content areas as a way to mediate the persistent access and achievement gap for English learner students
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education