Closing the Gap Between Teacher Perception and Response to Intervention (RTI) Student Achievement

Many communities rely on public schools to educate and properly train students who become the future members of society. So with educational groundwork constantly changing, districts are charged with excelling in various areas like Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Quality of Distribution Index (QDI). One area within that concern focuses on student behavior prevention programs by improving student achievement and increasing state test scores. Educational leaders reexamine teacher qualifications, rigor and relevance in classroom instruction, class size reduction, and providing effective professional development sessions aligning in accordance to each school’s vision and goals. The purpose of this study was to examine student achievement through state test scores and whether there was a correlation to Response to Intervention (RTI). The researcher investigated the many aspects to RTI and compared them to their districts’ state test scores for 7th graders in 2010 and 8th graders in 2011. In addition to RTI, questions were asked regarding important teacher qualities to making the intervention successful and if RTI decreased their dropout rate. Qualitative data collected for the research of this study were referenced state scores from the Mississippi State Department of Education and compared to participating respondents’ perceptions of his or her behavior prevention program. All data was then keyed into SPSS to analyze whether or not a relationship existed between the two focus areas. The results of the study determined that there was no significant difference in any of the school district who utilizes RTI when compared to student achievement through state test scores despite the high percentage of RTI Specialists’ perceptions

The Impact of Mentorship on the Motivation to Learn: A Phenomenological Study of High School African American Male Students at Risk for Failure

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how at-risk male African American students who attend Title I inner-city high schools in Central Florida, and are at risk for failure, perceive mentorship impacts their motivation to learn. The theories that guided this study were Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy, as each theory describes the basic needs that must be satisfied before an individual can be motivated to learn, and the role of interaction in developing self-efficacy and the motivation to learn. The central research question that guided this study sought to understand how at-risk African Americans high school students perceive mentoring impacts their motivation to learn. Additional subquestions explored the impact of mentoring on the participants’ self-efficacy and behavior, the impact of mentoring on the participants’ intrinsic motivation, and the impact of mentoring on the participants’ college readiness and career selection process. A final subquestion sought to understand how the participants perceive effective mentoring-related educational intervention strategies impact the achievement gap between African American males and Caucasian males. A transcendental phenomenological research design was used to investigate a convenience sample of 10 to 15 at-risk male African American high school students. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, observations, and focus groups, at one inner-city middle school. The data were analyzed using traditional phenomenological analysis methods of bracketing, horizonalization, clustering the data into themes, textural and structural descriptions, and synthesis (Moustakas, 1994). The final step in data analysis resulted in a composite description, the essence of the experience for the participants (Creswell, 2013)

Transforming the Educational Experience of Young Men of Color

The first of a four-volume series on the role of school counseling in the education of young men of color, this report includes short essays, student-produced artwork, and an interview on the topic

Promising Practices and Unfinished Business: Fostering Equity and Excellence for Black and Latino Males

Boston Public Schools (BPS) commissioned companion studies as part of its efforts to address achievement gaps for Black and Latino males. The first study revealed the increasing diversity of Black and Latino males and stark opportunity gaps throughout the system that contribute in large part to wide attainment gaps for these students. We hypothesized that in schools doing comparatively better with Black or Latino males than their counterparts, educators would be strategically and comprehensively implementing evidence-based cultural, structural, and instructional practices tailored to meet their the needs and aspirations of these students. Through qualitative case studies of four schools, we identified several cross-cutting themes that provide the district and school leaders with some positive news about effective practices found in all good schools: strong school cultures, professional collaboration, differentiated instruction, and, in the elementary schools, family engagement. While we observed pockets of best practices specific to Black and Latino male education, we also brought to light unfinished business, in that none of the four case study schools had an intentional and comprehensive schoolwide approach to educating Black and Latino males. This lack of intentionality resulted in a paucity of evidence that the school administration and faculty as a whole: (a) know and value students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds; (b) adopt explicit and responsive approaches to race and gender; and (c) develop and implement a comprehensive approach to culturally responsive curriculum and instruction. We posit that lack of knowledge, intentionality, and coherence impedes further progress in educating Black and Latino males, and has implications for educators in schools, for staff members in community partner organizations, and for family members of BPS students

Contextual Positive Psychology: Policy Recommendations for Implementing Positive Psychology into Schools

There has been a rapid growth in positive psychology, a research and intervention approach that focuses on promoting optimal functioning and well-being. Positive psychology interventions are now making their way into classrooms all over the world. However, positive psychology has been criticized for being decontextualized and coercive, and for putting an excessive emphasis on positive states, whilst failing to adequately consider negative experiences. Given this, how should policy be used to regulate and evaluate these interventions? We review evidence that suggests these criticisms may be valid, but only for those interventions that focus almost exclusively on changing the content of people’s inner experience (e.g., make it more positive) and personality (improving character strength), and overemphasize the idea that inner experience causes action. We describe a contextualized form of positive psychology that not only deals with the criticisms, but also has clear policy implications for how to best implement and evaluate positive education programs so that they do not do more harm than good

High School Students’ Expulsion Reintegration Following Alternative School: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was used to understand the lived experience of ninth through twelfth-grade high school expelled students and their perception of support when returning to their home campus in Pecan Canyon School District (a pseudonym). This qualitative study examined existing research on exclusionary discipline and documents the expulsion and reentry processes the students faced when leaving and returning to their home campuses. The research, deeply rooted in Moustakas\u27s approach to transcendental phenomenology, has produced a description text of life. Transcendental phenomenology is an attitude of approaching lived experience. Short-term expulsion was the removal of students for a period not to exceed the remainder of the current school quarter or semester. Permanent expulsion was the removal of a student for the remainder of the current school year but not beyond one full school term. The research analyzed the academic school year, 2022–2023. The study consisted of three high school African American females and seven high school African American male students varying in ages from 15-19. The participants selected attended a discipline-based alternative program before returning to their home school. Data were collected through student interviews involving an informal, interactive process utilizing open-ended questions; electronic journal questions allowed students to share their experiences in a relaxed environment; and the focus group consisted of the four returning students sharing their experiences. The research revealed the following six themes: frustrating alternative school experiences, no relationship with peers, no support from teachers and counselors in transition, support from family members, coping strategies, and changes in behavior

Students’ Perceptions and Strategies for Success in an Associate Degree Nursing Program

The three-manuscript dissertation is based on perceptions and personal strategies of successful third-semester nursing students about retention interventions at Holmes Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program on the Grenada Campus. Retention and attrition of nursing students is a current area of concern at Holmes Community College in the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Understanding adaptations that led third-semester students in the ADN program to be successful in their first-year is the focus of this study. The research questions seek to answer second-year, third-semester students’ perceptions of their first-year experiences of faculty interventions and personal strategies applied for success. Understanding adaptations and personal strategies utilized by first-year students could increase efforts to further improve retention of students in their first year of nursing school. Manuscript one will provide a review of what nursing school entails and the importance of the retaining nursing students to be successful in Holmes’ Associate Degree Nursing Program. Manuscript two will provide an overview of the data collection and presentation of findings related to the research in answering the research questions proposed. The final manuscript will present recommendations for implementation and dissertation plans to satisfy the requirements

Exploration of the Perceived Success Factors and Barriers for Teen Mothers

In 2015, there were 229,715 babies born to teens between the ages of 15-19 years of age. Over the past few years, teen births have decreased, however the United States still has the highest rate of teen pregnancies. There have been successful teen mothers who have completed high school and have proceeded to attend college and graduate with either a two or four-year degree. It is important to understand this study was not intended to justify research on teen pregnancy or condone teen pregnancy, but there needed to be an awareness made regarding adults who were teen mothers and how they overcame barriers after becoming a teen mother. When a teen gives birth to a child, she is now transitioning into motherhood, and it is important to know what it takes to overcome the stigma that follows teen mothers. Teen mothers are faced with many barriers, and these barriers could be any type of difficulty that prevents teen mothers achieving their own personal success. By collecting data through semi-structured interviews, this study provided awareness of how adult women overcame the stigma of teenage pregnancy. Each participant defined the success they had experienced in different ways. However, the focus was success, and learning how teen mothers have overcome and knocked down barriers in order to be successful is important. The intent of this research was to bring about an awareness that teen parenting programs work, and they are important to have in place for teen mothers. Although the number of teen mothers has continued to decrease, there are still teen mothers, and they should have programs available to help them reach their definition and desired goals of success

The transformative role of education sponsorship program among female Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Uganda

The purpose of the current study was to explore the transformative role of education sponsorship program provided by Concern for the Girl Child (CGC) to female orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. The specific objectives of this study were (i) to explore aspects of OVC’s agency that have been developed by the education sponsorship program; (ii) to evaluate how the CGC education sponsorship program has facilitated the development of OVC’s agency; (iii) to assess the challenges that OVC experienced which undermined the development of their agency. Data were collected by the means of in-depth interviews with current and past Concern for the Girl Child (CGC) beneficiaries and with key informant interviews with CGC staff members as well as contact teachers in the program schools. Data analysis was facilitated by inductive coding and the Capability Approach (CA) theoretical framework. Concern for the Girl Child (CGC), is a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that operates in Kampala city and Luwero district, Uganda. The study findings show that the CGC education sponsorship program had developed their personal agency that manifested in increased self-esteem; the ability to explicate alternatives of choices; being responsible for their personal choices and family; and taking actions to make changes for others. CGC facilitated the development of agency among the sponsored female OVC by encouraging them to make critical choices; assigning challenging tasks to beneficiaries, allowing and welcoming beneficiaries’ voices in decision making, and cultivating positive relationships with beneficiaries. However the CGC education sponsorship program experiences some challenges which undermined the full development of their agency. These findings suggest important implications for social work practice, social work education, policy development and further research