2024-03-28T22:40:06Zhttps://ir.vanderbilt.edu/oai/requestoai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/4552020-04-22T06:59:26Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Baxter, Susanna
author
Brant, Emmert
author
Forster, Jerry
author
2008-04-03T18:25:31Z
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/455
Educational accountability
Linking Learning, Accountability and Performance
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/95042020-04-22T10:22:17Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Dickson, Nancy
author
Mullen, Sarah
author
Speaks, Tiffany
author
2019
As the demographic characteristics of college students in the United States have shifted and expanded, so have the patterns of student mobility across international borders. Study abroad opportunities have also become increasingly diverse -- both structurally and demographically. Over the last decade, the length and time frame of education abroad experiences have shifted dramatically to better reflect the needs, expectations, and realities of today’s college students. Today, nearly 65% students completing an education abroad experience do so in fewer than eight weeks, while the number of students studying abroad for a semester or full academic year has declined (Institute of International Education, 2018).
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9504
Baltimore
Baltimore County
University of Maryland
Sustainable
Growth
Study Abroad
Bridging Baltimore, Barranquilla, and Beyond: Sustainable Growth in Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programming at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/159742020-09-16T16:51:13Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Campbell, Cherisse M.
author
Henn, Steven C.
author
Kock, Meri l.
author
2020-05
The Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools provides STEM-based educational experiences to students in a 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Longmont, Colorado. Several local business and industry partners support the center’s programs through financial contributions, and donations of equipment and materials, and their employees volunteer time as mentors for students on multiple projects as well. Opportunities at the Innovation Center (IC) include field trips, maker spaces, a mobile lab, high-school-level courses, after school programs, and paid work experiences.
The district requested assistance assessing the impact of its programs on the development of Essential Skills, formerly called 21st Century Skills, among the students who enrolled in the courses or participated in its after-school programs. Additionally, after reviewing IC enrollment figures, analysis indicated demographic trends inconsistent with the district’s broader demographics, including overrepresentation of white male students enrolled at the IC. Based on these interests and conditions, we framed our study around the following project questions:
How does the IC impact non-traditional student outcomes - in particular Essential Skills such as collaboration, communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, self-direction, and creativity?
How do student and faculty/staff perceptions of IC courses, programs, and communications, coupled with outreach strategies, impact enrollment trends and demographic composition?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15974
capstone
diverse
diversity
diverse students
st. vrain
innovation
innovation center
enrollment
student enrollment
st. vrain valley
The Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools: An Investigation of Essential Skills and Diverse Student Enrollment
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94242020-04-22T10:22:57Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Kenly, Avery
author
Klein, Amanda
author
Nicholson, Charles
author
2017-05-01
Ackerman and Barnett (2005) suggest that "future academic success is dependent on being ready to learn and participate in a successful kindergarten experience" (p. 1). More importantly, a quality preschool experience has the potential to reduce gaps in achievement and the reproduction of socioeconomic inequalities that persist among disadvantaged families (Crosnoe, Purtell, Davis-Kean, Ansari, & Benner, 2016). Research has also indicated that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are at a disadvantage, as they begin school with fewer academic skills and greater gaps in cognitive and academic competencies than their more advantaged peers (Stipek & Ryan, 1997). According to Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, and Waldfogel (2004), "differences in children's childhood experiences play a formative role in shaping school readiness and largely explain the skill gaps at school entry" (2004, p. 117).
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9424
Pre-K
Readiness
Pre-K Readiness
Differential
Differential Readiness
Socioeconomic
A Study of Differential Pre-K Readiness Across Racial/Socioeconomic Lines in Evanston/Skokie School District 65
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/55302020-04-22T08:13:14Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Adams, Todd C.
author
Ashford, Donna Yvette
author
Taylor, Aaron Nathaniel
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5530
Capstone
Social
Integration
Social Integration and Characteristics of "Non-Joiners"
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/82152020-04-22T09:02:15Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Cox, Gregory E.
author
Suchman, Thomas A.
author
2016-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8215
implementation
TESS
Teacher Excellence and Support System
LEADS
Leader Excellence and Development System
Jonesboro
evaluate
evaluation
evaluating
Evaluating the Continued Implementation of the Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) and the Implementation of the Leader Excellence and Development System (LEADS) in Jonesboro, Arkansas
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/87612020-04-22T08:46:13Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Shively, Julie
author
Weiss, Adam
author
2017-05
In the last three decades, career academies have grown in popularity as a mechanism to bolster high school students’ college and career readiness. Career academies offer small learning communities, project-based/work-based learning opportunities, and personalized academic support for students (Orr, Bailey, Hughes, Karp, & Kienzl, 2004). In an effort to improve students’ academic and career outcomes, education, business, and community leaders joined forces in 2010 to create career academies in Birmingham, Alabama. Since then, Birmingham City Schools (BCS) and a local educational nonprofit organization, Birmingham Education Foundation (Ed.), have collaborated to establish one or more career academy programs in all seven public high schools. In the spring of 2016, Birmingham Education Foundation and Birmingham City Schools requested that Ed.D. students at Peabody College study the implementation and outcomes of Birmingham’s career academies. The following capstone project report is the result of this research request.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8761
Implementation
career academy
birmingham
alabama
career academy program
On the Path Toward College and Career Readiness: An Evaluation of the Implementation and Outcomes of the Career Academy Program in Birmingham, Alabama
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/55322014-08-20T00:59:25Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Rush, Matthew J.
author
Gilmore, Barry
author
2012-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5532
Capstone
Recession
Nashville Area Independent Schools (NAIS)
When Mission and Market Forces Intersect: A study of NAIS member schools navigating an economic recession
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/83302016-08-16T21:28:30Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bahiraei, Kelly
author
Browning, Ashley
author
Smith, Stacy
author
2016-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8330
sustainable
enrollment
sustainable enrollment
rural
university
rural university
enrollment management
Sustainable Enrollment Management at a rural Midwestern university
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/82142020-04-22T09:02:06Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Adcox, J. Gary
author
Pask, Megan E.
author
2016-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8214
undergraduate
value
perceptions
vanderbilt
university
vanderbilt university
undergrad
undergrad education
undergraduate education
Perceptions of the Value of an Undergraduate Education from Vanderbilt University
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94142020-04-22T10:29:50Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Crounse, Shane
author
Hinkle, Lygie
author
Shatzer, Christin
author
2017-05
The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) asked us to
explore why adult students, individuals age 25 and over, in Tennessee choose to enroll in private
nonprofit institutions like their member campuses. It is their hope that better understanding adult
college student choice will support TICUA’s role in the Tennessee Drive-to-55 initiative. To
understand the issue context, we explored existing data sets from TICUA and the Tennessee
higher education commission (THEC). To frame our research and study questions we met with
staff of TICUA, THEC, and several campus administrators. After developing our study
questions, we reviewed literature on college choice and adult students. Finally, we administered
a survey of current adult students enrolled at several TICUA institutions and conducted
interviews with adult students and campus administrators who work with adult students. Our
analysis of these data sets led us to posit a set of best practices specific to Tennessee private,
nonprofit colleges and universities. TICUA institutions can draw on this set of best practices in
ways that suit their geographic contexts, program offerings, and campus culture.
Tennessee is a laboratory for higher education innovation. A strong state lottery
scholarship program has supported the growth of several initiatives that align with the latest
thinking of the U.S. Department of Education and national think tank organizations like Lumina
Foundation (USDE, 2012; Lumina, 2016). The Tennessee Reconnect program has mirrored
Lumina’s call for states to serve adult students through first credentials, articulated pathways,
and advising. The 2017 expansion of the Tennessee Promise scholarships, through the Tennessee
Reconnect Act, gives adults free community college and puts the state ahead of any other in
supporting adult college students (Fain, 2014). Tennessee’s higher education programs also
largely address U.S. Department of Education recommendations for supporting adult learners
with programs targeting access, quality, and completion (USDE, 2012).
While TICUA’s membership of four-year institutions are largely excluded from press
coverage surrounding the Tennessee Promise scholarships, these 34 campuses award the
bachelor’s degree that is more highly coveted by employers and more versatile in the job market
(CEW 2010, 2013). TICUA institutions certainly serve a smaller number of adult learners than
other segments of the Tennessee higher education community, but they are expected to serve
increasing numbers of adult students and offer experiences and programs unavailable at public or
for-profit institutions (THEC, 2015). Additionally, nearly a third of bachelor's degrees awarded
by TICUA institutions go to adult students (THEC, 2016).
Our review of the existing data and literature suggest that students aged 25 and older
pursue higher education in different ways than traditional aged students. These differences are
best served by changes to marketing, recruiting, onboarding, classroom engagement, and path to
degree. Adult students are more focused on specific employment outcomes, expect efficient
administrative services, welcome classroom rigor, and require a clear and timely path to
graduation and credentialing. While the four-year bachelor's degree is more sought-after by
employers and more flexible in the national job market, adult students prefer to know that the
knowledge and skills they personally learn will be worth the time and energy they expend to
acquire them.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9414
choice
Adult Student
college
ticua
independent
tennessee
Adult College Student Choice: Individual and Institutional Factors that Influence Students
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53162020-04-22T08:22:11Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Lavino, Edward
author
McCaghren, Chris
author
Richardson, Terry
author
2013-05-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5316
Capstone
Marketing
Strategy
National
A National Marketing Study and Strategy for Wofford College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177202022-09-19T19:58:51Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
McMillan, Martha C.
author
Trout, Emily
author
2022
Large school districts across the country are faced with a monumental task -
creating and managing a system that has the capacity to ensure that students can
learn and grow during their time in school. School districts benefit from research
that is closely aligned with their most pressing problems of practice and an efficient
allocation of that research to decision-makers who will take action based on the
results. All of this must be done within the constraints of the K-12 school district.
In order to do this well, districts and researchers must collaborate to ensure that
the end result will be useful and beneficial to both parties. The Central City
Department of Education (CCDOE) is a fertile ground for research and improving
school outcomes.
However, improving practice across the district requires alignment between
research and policy. Currently, research conducted within the district is designed
independently of issues relevant to practitioners. Based on the work of Penuel,
Coburn, and others, we investigated the best practices for establishing
partnerships, systems for supporting research and ensuring equitable research and
why inconsistent sharing across stakeholders occurs.
As a result of insights pulled from the literature and the needs of Central City, the
following research questions were established:
● Research Question 1: What processes and structures are large diverse school
districts using to effectively manage research and data requests?
○ Research Question 1a: How do districts ensure alignment between
district priorities and the larger research community?
○ Research Question 1b: How do districts utilize external researchers to
address pressing priorities?
● Research Question 2: What efforts do large diverse districts undertake to
ensure that research outputs are usable and can inform decision-making?
● Research Question 3: What kind of research evidence and practices would
most effectively guide research decisions at CCDOE?
Research and Practice Alignment 4
● Research Question 4: How might diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
priorities guide research decisions at CCDOE?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17720
Collaboration; Practitioners and Scholars; Equity-Centered Decisions;
Research and Practice Alignment: How Meaningful Collaboration between Practitioners and Researchers Can Inform Equity-Centered Decision-Making
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/40042011-02-11T19:01:41Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Enright, Deborah Macfarlan
author
Witham, Peter James
author
2008-05
The initiation of the era of educational accountability brought with it an abundance of data on student performance in the form of outcome results from standardized tests. These test scores provide information for the teacher about her individual students and her classes in general. The data also provides the school with a detailed composite of the achievement levels of the entire school population. The achievement levels of students in our public school system reported through these scores provide snapshots as well as longitudinal data to faculty and staff. The use of data for instructional planning has the potential to positively impact the decisions teachers make regarding individual students and entire classes.
The standards-based movement with its shift from educational and financial inputs to achievement based outcomes brought on the need for more evidenced based data to supply information to teachers that could then be turned into knowledge to inform instruction. The use of this evidence based data rendered from standardized tests to inform instruction strengthens the reach of the No Child Left Behind legislation in that it holds every district, school, and each classroom accountable for the educational success of every child within the school system. Data use has become an expected linchpin for decision making within the classroom. While this data fueled analysis is now routine for educators in their practice, proficiency in its use remains in question.
Data from which a teacher can inform her instructional decisions abound in a classroom. Prior to the more formal collection and dissemination of one type of data from the district office in the form of standardized test scores, teachers gathered information about their students through accrued experience, intuition and an understanding of the socioeconomic underpinnings of their students. The information was based upon an unsystematic collection mechanism that relied on perception and judgment. The extracted knowledge was neither complete nor reliable by scientific standards, but served to inform teachers as to who was in their classrooms and how the students went about the process of learning. The capacity to distill data points into forms of information that provide knowledge to a district, school, and classroom is the essence of the issue facing Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools in their use of data to inform instruction.
The issue of teacher capacity and commitment to use data to inform instruction stimulates the project submitted by the MNPS Office of Assessment to conduct a research project that uncovers the range of data teachers are using to inform their instruction. The Request for Assistance from the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools system calls for an "in-depth, qualitative analyses of teachers" DDDM practices. The first capstone project focused primarily on principal data use and capacity, but did not provide the depth of information to adequately understand how and why teachers use data in their professional practice. The project specifically asks for analyses that examine data driven decision making at the "classroom-level; where teacher data driven decision-making meets student learning". Required components for the design of the research study included qualitative methods of data collection to "explore teacher knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to data driven decision making." (MNPS Capstone RFP)
The design of the current study was grounded in the earlier 2006-07 Capstone, which sought to focus on uncovering the capacity of current MNPS principals to train teachers to use data. The RFP for the 2006-07 Capstone specifically asked the Project Team to
(1) Evaluate the scope of principal data use
(2) Assess how well the district's data training strategies are aligned with data use needs
(3) Develop recommendations for improved data training strategies
The findings of the 2006-07 Capstone prompted recommendations centered around investing in teacher leadership, creating expectations for more leadership development opportunities, increasing the resources principals can focus on developing their leadership skills, creating an induction program for teachers and principals, and finding funding sources outside of the budget process to support the efforts of the district to build capacity of data use among the school leadership and faculty.
This context drove the design of our study. We focused on the data use in the MNPS middle schools division level. The MNPS statistics along with the national data regarding achievement gaps for 8th grade African American males shows that this group of students demands our attention. The MNPS school district enrolls 75,000 students in 133 schools. The district is under corrective action by the state of Tennessee. Seventy-eight percent of the district high schools (11) are on the NCLB High Priority List; a list that indicates schools that fail to meet benchmark criteria for proficiency rates in English and Math for one or more subgroups within the school population for one year or more. Sixty percent of the middle schools are on this list as well. Only 11% of elementary schools in the district are on the list.
This Ed.D. Capstone project guided through the Department of Leadership Policy & Organization sought to work with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools district to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and behavior of teachers as they use data to drive instructional practices. MNPS charged the research team with the job of describing the current situations and events surrounding the use of data to inform instruction in its teacher corps. As such, the key purposes for this research study were descriptive and exploratory in nature.
After an examination of the literature and developing an in depth understanding of the districts goals, resources, and strategies surrounding the dissemination of data use to inform instruction, our Project Team designed a mixed methods research study with the following components:
a) Identify schools within the district that have teachers with strong data driven decision-making skills
b) Develop an interview protocol based upon relevant literature evaluating the capacity of middle school math and language arts teachers to use
c) Create a rubric from the collected data showing best practices of
d) Construct a survey instrument from these findings to distribute to teachers of the studied disciplines in the district's middle schools
e) Determine the degree to which MNPS middle school math and language arts teachers are effectively practicing skills
f) Report our findings to the Director of Assessments to aid in the development of professional development strategies to build data use capacities across the district's middle schools The exploratory portion of the research involved an examination of the following elements:
- Level of commitment towards using district data on the classroom level
- Capacity of MNPS teachers to use a range of data to inform instruction
- Ability of the school-site leadership to strengthen the aptitude of their faculty
- Role that district's data professional development initiative has played in the present use of data to inform instruction
- Barriers to comprehensive data use on the part of the teachers within the schools studied
In order to accomplish these tasks, we conducted over 30 interviews in three middle schools that were identified by the district as using Best Practice methods for informing instruction through data. Math and language arts teachers and head principals made up the sample. We administered an open-ended survey to over 60 teachers in 6 selected middle schools in the MNPS district.
Our findings show that the level of commitment and capacity among the MNPS middle school level faculties in using data to inform instruction is fundamentally linked to principal commitment and capacity as well as the organizational context in which the school resides. We also found that while the teachers endorse on some levels the commitment level of the district toward large-scale data use in MNPS Schools, their perceptions of resource allocation and delivery of data were unfavorable to the efforts of the district. Our overall findings include:
- Teacher commitment and capacity were impacted by the expectations, structures and training opportunities provided by school leaders and the district.
- Principal leadership strongly influences the level of commitment and capacity held by their faculty toward the use of data to inform instruction
- Contextual Factors impacts the level of expectations, structures, and training provided to teachers by school leadership in the use of data to inform instruction
- District resources including Professional Development and Technology were not sufficient for improving teacher commitment or capacity
Based on the analysis of the findings, our contextual understanding of MNPS, and the framework for change described in our paper, we proposed the following three recommendations to the district:
Recommendation 1: Invest in training in principal leadership to improve their commitment and capacity to orient district resources around impacting data informed instruction.
Recommendation 2: Expand and improve the existing professional development program around data use to ensure the district resources of technology, time, and access to data are central to teacher training.
Recommendation 3: Improve the existing resources of technology, time, and access to data to positively impact teacher commitment and capacity for data use.
Grounded in the organizational structures of the district, the recommendations and evaluation plan provide a foundation upon which to build further, more specific initiatives around data for grade levels, subject areas, or school divisions. Uncovering other opportunities to strengthen the district's initiative to increase best practice use in schools, supplies ideas for further research including:
- Studies centered on understanding the use of data across all middle schools in the district would provide useful information.
- Studying the phenomenon of linking described in the findings could provide information to the district that would create a model to formalize this type of collaboration across grade levels, subject areas, schools, and divisions.
- Conducting a longitudinal study of a group of students' grades 3-12 would prove valuable in evaluating the impact data use by teachers had on student achievement.
- Conducting a year's study that follows some middle school teachers to "see" the use of data.
- A study on the teacher instructional practice associated with a school attempting to improve their status on the AYP benchmark list would provide critical evidence as to how these teachers view their own instruction, how they perceive their students as learners, and how these two elements influence teacher behavior.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4004
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS)
Data driven decision-making in MNPS
Examining the Existence of and the Conditions for Teacher Commitment and Capacity for Data Use: An Exploratory Study of MNPS Middle School Math and Language Arts Teachers
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53152020-04-22T08:22:06Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Johnson, Eric G.
author
Nattrass, Tara E.
author
Phillips, Jack W.
author
2013-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5315
Capstone
MNPS
Student
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Clarifying the Complexity of MNPS Student Departure: Who Leaves, When, & Why?
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/156002020-09-04T17:46:33Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Chimka, Madeline
author
Kaur, Sukhdeep
author
Wells, Tommy
author
2020-05
The school principal plays a significant role in a school’s success, and research highlights the importance of principals learning through others (Smylie, Murphy, & Louis, 2020). Unfortunately, principals often work alone. In rural settings, this circumstance is heightened, as principals have reported feeling isolated in their leadership role.
The Elgin Children’s Foundation, which is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for children living in rural Southern Appalachia, launched its Principal Support Program (PSP) in 2017 to support the development of effective school leaders with the ultimate goal of improving student academic achievement.
We partnered with the Foundation to design and oversee an early evaluation of the PSP centered on three research questions:
1. What is the impact of the PSP on principal mindsets and practices as related to school climate and culture, instructional leadership, and organizational management?
2. How do the mindsets and practices of PSP principals compare to non-PSP principals in similarly situated schools?
3. What components of the PSP are most beneficial for principal development?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15600
capstone
elgin foundation
elgin
elgin children's foundation
principal support
principal support program
The Elgin Children's Foundation's Principal Support Program: An Early Program Assessment
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/71082015-06-17T22:20:20Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Anderson, Kent
author
Galentino, Richard
author
Wells, Billy
author
2014-05-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7108
engagement
college
rhodes college
rhodes
The Scholarship of Engagement at Rhodes College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/156022020-09-04T17:48:35Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Grace, Meghan
author
Kamrass, Micah
author
Saud, Daniyal
author
2020-05
Student debt has increased rapidly in the United States over the past 20 years and totals more than $1.3 trillion dollars. Roughly half of students borrow to pay for tuition and living expenses associated with a college education (Black, Filipek, Furman, Giuliani & Narayan, 2016). Unlike grant aid, these forms of aid place additional, continuing responsibilities on students which impact them long after graduation.
As Model College aims to diversify its enrollment and position itself to attract and retain more students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, the University is undertaking the bold step of ensuring that many of its students can obtain an education loan free. Achieving this goal would better position Model’s graduates for present and future success without the burden of heavy debt loads. This capstone project aims to research the effects of expected student loan debt and campus employment on student success and on the campus experience at Model College.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15602
capstone
financial aid
student success
model
model college
The Impacts of Financial Aid on Student Suceess at Model College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/84462017-10-11T06:02:51Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Coyne, Colin
author
Stokes, Alexis
author
2017-05
On average, more than a quarter of all entering first-time, full-time students do not return to
their institution for a second year. One in five fail to persist at all. Yet, “of the 45 percent of
students who start college and fail to complete their degree, less than one-quarter are dismissed
for poor academic performance. Most leave for other reasons” (Kuh, et al., 2006). Central
Methodist University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with its residential undergraduate
enrollment of 1,900 students and a first-year retention rate of 66%, is emblematic of hundreds of
small to mid-sized liberal arts colleges and bachelor-degree granting universities dotting the
landscape of higher education. Based heavily but not exclusively on Braxton, et al.’s Rethinking
College Student Retention (2014), this study focuses on Central Methodist University against
which established theory is applied in search of pragmatic, actionable strategies supportive of
student retention.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8446
retention
Student Retention
explanatory model
first year
college retention
college
An Explanatory Model of First Year Retention: Application and Adaptation of Braxton, Doyle, Hartley, Hirschy, Jones & McLendon's Rethinking College Student Retention
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94952020-04-22T10:24:32Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Mosby, Brittany
author
Pafford, Jenny
author
Wornhoff, Amanda
author
2019-05
Despite increases in access to postsecondary education, addressing gaps in outcomes across socioeconomic groups remains challenging. Even if more lower income students are entering postsecondary institutions today than in the past, inequalities in persistence mean they are less likely to complete a degree than higher income peers. Complex social, financial, and academic factors can influence low-income students’ persistence in college, creating multiple barriers to completing a credential. This study focuses on the persistence of low-income community college students in Tennessee. Using a mixed-methods approach, we specifically aim to shed light on the experiences of low-income community college students within the policy context of Tennessee, a state that has invested substantially in higher education. We believe that studying the experiences of low-income students within the particularly prominent policy context of Tennessee could have value for others considering or implementing promise programs and related strategies.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9495
Low income
Community college
Poor in the Era of Promise: An Examination of the Experiences of Low-Income Community College Students in Tennessee
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177222022-09-19T19:59:05Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Huffines, Sarah
author
Soto, Elizabeth
author
O'Regan, Whitney Platzer
author
2021-05
This study examines the relationships between participation in a residential commons system, sense of belonging, and academic performance in the context of an elite, highly residential liberal arts university. The findings from this mixed methodological study include a negative relationship between commons participation and sense of belonging, a positive relationship between alcohol use and sense of belonging, and a positive relationship between sense of belonging and academic engagement.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17722
sense of belonging
residential environment
academic engagement
alcohol
college students
Sense of Belonging & Academic Performance: Outcomes from a Residental Commons Model
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/33792020-04-22T08:33:06Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Burns, Susan Freeman
author
Gardner, Catherine Devlin
author
Meeuwsen, Joyce Lauren
author
2009-05
In an effort to address issues of teacher quality, the AISD (Austin Independent School District) began implementation of AISD REACH: a Strategic Compensation Initiative in July 2007. The initiative targets three key areas: student
growth, professional growth, and recruitment and retention of teachers and principals at highest needs schools. Combining an outcome-based pay for performance component based on student achievement measures with two input-based components - one for professional development and another for teaching in hard to staff schools; the district's goals for this program are:
- A quality teacher in every classroom, especially in Austin's highest-needs schools;
- Improved student learning at all schools and for all students;
- Professional growth for teachers; and
- Increased retention rates among AISD teachers and principals.
... Accordingly, this independent evaluation, which is being conducted alongside a comprehensive internal evaluation, is designed to offer feedback about teacher and principal experiences with REACH and recommendations to inform the scaling-up of the program. Our evaluation is guided by three project questions:
1.What are AISD REACH teacher attitudes toward pay for performance in general?
2.What are AISD REACH teacher attitudes toward REACH components?
3.What are teacher and principal perceptions of the implementation of AISD REACH?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3379
Teacher Compensation
Performance Incentives
An Evaluation of Teacher and Principal Experiences During the Pilot Phase of AISD Reach, A Strategic Compensation Initiative
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/54592013-05-30T20:06:45Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Flores, Teresa R.
author
2011-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5459
Capstone
University
Signature
Emerging
Partnership
University of Louisville Signature Partnership Initiative: A Study of an Emerging University-Community
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94222020-04-22T10:23:23Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Grinage, Leslie N.
author
Martinez, Alexis
author
Purcell, Christopher J.
author
2017
Birmingham-Southern College, a small, private, liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Alabama, asked for an evaluation of their academic advising program. Anecdotal evidence, as well as the findings from a Vanderbilt Capstone Project from 2015-16, suggests that the academic advising services at the college may not be evenly delivered and are sometimes ineffective in targeting and supporting students. Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) believes that academic advising not only plays a central role in retaining students, but also assisting them in identifying and pursuing their passions. BSC views a successful academic advising program as central to student success and has sought in recent years to improve its advising services. Using a mixed methods approach, a team of doctoral students from Vanderbilt University created a study to answer the following three questions: 1) To what extent does the current advising program meet the personal and academic needs of BSC students? 2) Are there any identifiable groups of students whose needs are not being met from the current academic advising program? 3) To what extent do faculty and administration perceive resources are being effectively utilized to deliver academic advising services to students?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9422
Advising
Academic Advising
Perceptions of Academic Advising at Birmingham-Southern College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/32412020-04-22T08:33:08Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Hughes, Gary Dean
author
Strawbridge, Nancy Sharp
author
Bercaw, Jamin Lane
author
2009-04-23
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is the
public school district serving Louisville,
Kentucky. With an enrollment of
approximately 99,000 students, JCPS is
Kentucky's largest public school system.
Each school in JCPS has a Site Based
Decision Making (SBDM) Council.
This exploratory project was designed to
understand how SBDM Councils in the
Jefferson County Public Schools affect
school level policy and the work of
principals. Researchers addressed two
project questions.
First, researchers asked, "How do JCPS
principals perceive the impact of SBDM
Councils in the mandated areas of
curriculum, instructional practices,
personnel, scheduling and student
assignment to classes, use of school space,
student discipline and school safety,
procedural concerns, extracurricular
participation, alignment with state
standards, and program appraisals on their
work as school leaders?"
Second, researchers queried, "How do JCPS
principals perceive the impact of the SBDM
Councils on their day-to-day responsibilities
as school leaders?"
Goals of SBDM Councils include
decentralizing school control and involving
members of the school community in
making decisions for their school. While
some evidence, primarily qualitative, exists
to bolster claims of increased stakeholder
engagement from participation in SBDM
Councils, there is virtually no research on the types of policy decisions influenced by
SBDM Councils.
Researchers sought to understand how
legal mandates governing SBDM Councils
affect principals' workloads. Second,
researchers examined principals'
perceptions SBDM Council influence on
policy decisions at the local school level.
Data were collected along two strands: a
comprehensive survey and six school
qualitative interview sites.
A survey was created and distributed to all
132 JCPS principals. In addition to
demographic data that included experience,
length of time as principal, and tenure at
the school, survey questions focused on
task requirements of the SBDM Councils
and perception queries concerning the
intersection of council work and the duties
of the principal.
Structured qualitative interviews were
conducted at six school sites, selected in
conjunction with JCPS Accountability,
Research, and Planning Department staff.
The data collected through principal surveys
underwent descriptive analysis to capture a
view of principal perceptions on how SBDM
Councils shape policy formation and
influence decision-making. Trends in the
data were explored. The data collected
from qualitative interviews were analyzed
to ascertain contextual factors that may
affect SBDM Councils according to
members from all levels.
As noted, 132 principals from the
elementary, middle, and high schools in Jefferson County were asked to complete
the principal's survey. There were 111
principals who chose to take part in the
survey. Of this group, 20 principals
answered only the first survey question that
requested their consent to participate in
the survey; after giving consent, they
answered no further survey questions. Four
other principals answered questions in the
first four sections of the survey but declined
to answer any of the demographics related
questions in section five of the survey. Of
the 87 principals who completed the
survey, 40 of them completed the survey
online and the remaining 47 completed the
survey during their respective principal's
meetings in December 2008. In all, 54
elementary school principals, 15 middle
school principals, 16 high school principals,
and 2 special school principals completed
the survey.
It is clear from survey and qualitative
interview data that the principal is the
primary source of influence in every area
requiring decision-making by the SBDM
Council (as mandated by KERA). According
to qualitative interview responses, most
decisions delegated to the SBDM Councils
have been made before ever reaching that
body.
In many schools, there is an overlap in
responsibilities between the school
leadership teams, which may include
virtually all teachers in some schools, and
SBDM Councils. Thus, the work of the SBDM
Council is often only symbolic in nature. In
many cases, the most educationally
substantive issues have been addressed
long before reaching the SBDM Council. Parental involvement in schools can help
promote student achievement; however,
parental participation on SBDM Councils is
limited and effectively weak relative to
principal influence.
Researchers found that principals believe
that they are the driving force behind most
decisions made in the school. In every area
studied, the principal ranked first in
influence. SBDM Councils do influence
decisions made in the school, but overall,
they rank second to the principal in amount
of influence exerted over decision-making
processes in schools.
The findings suggest that the work of SBDM
Councils, though largely symbolic, is valued
in JCPS. Nevertheless, more than half of all
principals surveyed indicated that they
would eliminate SBDM Councils in their
schools if possible. Negative aspects
associated with SBDM Council mandates
include writing redundant policies,
participation in the hiring process, and
parental involvement in decisions best
handled by the professional staff.
Researchers offer several recommendations
to JCPS officials for strengthening and
streamlining the work of principals and
SBDM Councils.
The common thread throughout these
findings and recommendations reflects
what has already been hypothesized in
published research: leadership matters,
regardless of other groups and
stakeholders.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3241
Site based decision making
Principals
The Influence of Site Based Decision Making Councils on the Work of Principals in Jefferson County Public Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/68792020-04-22T06:33:02Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Greenslate, Christopher
author
Sewell, Christopher
author
Showah, Anthony
author
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/6879
mobility
student mobility
attrition
school attrition
Metro
metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
MNPS
Nashville
public school
Examining Student Mobility and School Attrition in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/51972020-04-22T06:05:45Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Kennerly, Brian
author
Menard, Audrey
author
Witty, Ginger
author
2011-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5197
Capstone
Homework
Homework Hotline
Homework Hotline: Toward Realizing the Full Potential
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/32422020-04-22T08:33:09Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Goodgame, Cathey
author
Patterson, Lenora Cherese
author
Edwards, Michael A.
author
2009-04
Independent schools are private schools not dependent upon any
outside organization for governance or financing. They are truly
independent with regard to operations and finances, and they follow
a mission that drives the school's decision-making and operations.
Because independent schools are not beholden to local, state, or
national education policies and guidelines, they are free to determine
their own criteria of effective teaching and to employ noncertified
teachers and teachers with non-traditional educational
backgrounds. In addition, they control decisions regarding professional
development for their teachers. Without requirements to use certification and state or national
guidelines for teacher quality, and without external requirements
for teacher preparation and professional development, the following
questions arise: What factors related to effective teaching,
teacher quality, and professional development are important to independent
schools? What are independent schools' priorities for
hiring teachers and providing professional development? This exploratory study is designed to provide
The Southern Association of Independent
Schools (SAIS) with data and findings related
to how its member schools define effective
teaching, teacher quality, and professional
development. Because of the lack of research
in independent education, this study will provide
new baseline data to SAIS - data that are
not currently available - that can be used to
inform the services they currently provide to
member schools. SAIS would like to know the
factors related to effective teaching that are
important to SAIS Heads of School when hiring
teachers and the extent to which their current
faculty demonstrate those factors. In addition,
SAIS is interested in the nature of and
priorities for professional development in their
member schools so that they can evaluate and
refine their current professional development
offerings.
A substantial body of research exists, primarily
based on research in the public sector,
on effective teaching, qualities of effective
teachers, and how professional development
contributes to teacher effectiveness. As part
of this research project, this report contains
a comprehensive review of the literature on
effective teaching that can be found in Appendix
A. Based on the literature, a survey was
designed for SAIS Heads of School to address
the following project questions:
1. What factors related to effective teaching
are important to SAIS Heads of School when
hiring teachers?
2. What are SAIS Heads' perceptions of the
extent to which their current teachers demonstrate
effective teaching practices?
3. What is the nature of professional development
related to effective teaching in SAIS
schools? 4. What are SAIS Heads' priorities for teacher
professional development?
5. To what extent are Heads' priorities for
professional development aligned with their
perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses
of their teachers?
Key Findings
After analysis, the data gathered from the 163
SAIS Heads of School who participated in this
study revealed the following key findings:
Factors Contributing to Effective Teaching
- When hiring, respondents prefer candidates
with an undergraduate degree in a content
area with graduate degrees in either content
areas or education. However, Heads reported
they frequently hire candidates who only have
undergraduate degrees.
- Undergraduate degrees in education are preferred
at schools with lower school divisions.
- When asked about the importance of certification,
almost half of respondents indicated a
preference for teachers with either current or
previous certification. Many Heads see certification
as an important consideration in hiring.
- SAIS Heads' survey responses indicate that
teacher certification is more important in rural
schools than suburban schools.
Professional Practices
- Heads rate the following areas as very important
considerations in hiring teachers: mastery
of subject area, creating an environment of
respect and rapport, demonstrating enthusiasm
and a positive attitude, and communicating
clearly and accurately with students. Less
important to Heads, but still important overall,
are demonstrating knowledge of teaching
resources, integrating technology instruction,
and organizing physical space for optimal
learning.
- Respondents indicate that their teachers do well in the following areas: displaying mastery
of subject area, creating an environment of respect
and rapport, and communicating clearly
and accurately with students. What teachers do
less well, according to respondents, is integrating
technology instruction, organizing physical
space for optimal learning, and growing and developing
professionally.
- Integrating technology instruction is one of
the lowest areas of importance according to respondents
and is also rated the lowest area for
teacher performance.
Professional Development to Support Effective
Teaching
- Respondents indicated they are providing professional
development in areas critical for effective
teaching: content knowledge, assessment,
pedagogical knowledge, instructional delivery,
and planning for instruction.
- Heads' priorities for professional development
are closely tied to instructional concerns.
- Development of content knowledge is a priority
for professional development despite the fact
that Heads reported that their teachers demonstrate
strong content knowledge.
- Professional development is most often planned
by administrators and support staff. However,
larger schools are more likely to involve teachers
in the planning of professional development.
Heads with higher levels of education are more
likely to allow teachers to plan professional development
activities.
- Professional development activities are not frequently
evaluated for evidence of improvement
in teacher practice or student achievement.
Recommendations
General
Respondents categorized their location as rural,
suburban, or urban. SAIS does not categorize its
schools using these terms, so we were unable to
match the reported data to the entire population
of SAIS member schools. However, several
significant findings were related to school location location,
leading us to our first recommendation for
SAIS:
- Begin categorizing and tracking schools based
on location - rural, suburban, and urban - in order
to have the ability to evaluate the needs of
schools based on location and provide differentiated
services when needed or appropriate.
- Use existing school size and type categories to
evaluate the needs of schools based on location
and provide differentiated services when needed
or appropriate.
Hiring
Although respondents in this study indicated a
preference for content area degrees over degrees
in education, they also indicated that they
often hire teachers with degrees in education.
With regard to hiring, we recommend that SAIS:
- Provide guidance and support to Heads with regard
to hiring and recruiting teachers that match
their hiring preferences. One way SAIS could
help with this is to assist member schools in developing
marketing materials to continue to attract
effective teachers to independent schools.
Messaging could focus on the benefits of teaching
in independent schools, and schools should
be encouraged to find ways to offer competitive,
comprehensive benefits packages for teachers.
- To address the Heads' stated preference for
teachers with subject area degrees, we recommend
that SAIS explore partnerships with universities
with the goal of creating opportunities
to identify and attract teachers with strong content
knowledge. A partnership with a university
could allow for the creation of specialized subject
area professional development and graduate
degree programs, which could be used by
SAIS member schools to strengthen the subject
area knowledge of its teachers. Professional Practices
With regard to professional practices, we recommend
that SAIS:
- Encourage its member schools to stay current
on educational research and provide the
comprehensive literature review to Heads and
member schools.
- Develop workshops and training materials for
schools to use with teachers that emphasize
research-based effective teaching practices
and the integration of technology to enhance
instruction.
Professional Development
Participants in this study clearly value content
knowledge for their teachers. Therefore, we
recommend that SAIS:
- Communicate the literature on the value of
both content and pedagogical content knowledge
to its member schools.
Because SAIS member schools prefer to hire
teachers who have strong subject matter
knowledge and degrees, we recommend that
SAIS:
- Design and offer professional development
opportunities to support pedagogical content
knowledge and instructional methods for
teachers in its member schools. Professional
development for SAIS Heads could also prove
valuable, particularly regarding the characteristics
of effective professional development.
Heads indicated their influence and involvement
in decision-making for professional development,
but also revealed that they seldom
evaluate professional development activities
for their effect on student learning. We recommend
that SAIS:
- Provide training for Heads regarding the value
of involving teachers in professional development
decision-making and on methods for
linking professional development to student learning and evaluating its effectiveness.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3242
Effective Teaching
SAIS schools
An Exploratory Study of Factors Related to Effective Teaching in SAIS Member Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/71062020-04-22T06:32:44Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Perez, Erin C.
author
Thomas, Anna K.
author
Walker, Quinton P.
author
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7106
Brevard College
Advancement
transition
services
advancement services
Brevard College: Advancement Services in the Wake of an Institutional Transition
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53492020-04-22T08:21:30Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Farley, Scott
author
Podgurski, Walt
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5349
Capstone
Structure
Sustain
Freshman
Academy
Structuring and Sustaining Freshman Academies in the South Bend Community Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177152022-09-19T19:56:08Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Boyd, Elizabeth
author
Clark, Joanna
author
Renteria Mendoza, Liliana
author
2022
At the request of Model University administration, a team of Vanderbilt University EdD
students in Higher Education Leadership and Policy investigated the impacts of Model’s
Residential Community (RC) system on students of color and first-generation students. Utilizing
a mixed methods approach including quantitative analyses of institutional survey data (Your
First College Year and National Survey of Student Engagement), qualitative interviews with
student participants, and a document analysis of publicly available documents about the RC
system, the team posed two questions:
1. What programming and resources are needed via the RC model to support students of
color and first-generation students in campus life and academics?
2. To what extent do the RC model offerings align with the needs and desired outcomes
by Model for students of color and first-generation students?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17715
Living-Learning Community; First Generation; Students of Color
Experiences of Students of Color and First-Generation Students: A Case Study of a Living-Learning Community
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177182022-09-19T19:58:28Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Brown, Mike
author
Swihart, Seth
author
2021-05
In an increasingly diverse nation, establishing representative, equitable, and inclusive work environments has become a prominent discussion for many organizations. This journey for NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) towards a more diverse and inclusive institution began over 40 years ago with strategies to integrate independent schools and expand DEI practices across its vast partnership of 1600 schools nationwide. In this study, the researchers explore how the presence of a DEI practitioner on an independent school campus affects staff culture and DEI professional development offerings. This mixed-methods impact evaluation found that staff culture is improved with the presence of a practitioner on campus and that this was especially true for teachers of color on those campuses. Staff culture for white teachers also improved with the presence of a DEI practitioner. In addition, there was a strong correlation between staff culture for teachers of color and the increased number of quality PD offerings. As a result of the findings in this study the researchers recommend that each NAIS institution fund a DEI practitioner on their campus, offer at least 3 quality DEI PD offerings each year, and fully fund any teacher of color who desires to attend the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC).
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17718
independent schools
diversity
inclusion
poc
NAIS
equity
Time For Change: The Impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practitioners on Independent School Campuses
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177192022-09-19T19:58:41Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Barnett, John
author
O'Dwyer, Ronny
author
Townsend, Kimberly
author
2022
The Capstone Independent School District (CISD)1 serves approximately 12,000 students
living in communities ranging from suburban to vast rural densities covering nearly 450 square
miles. The school district has two comprehensive high schools, an early college high school, and
a non-traditional online high school. CISD currently offers a Career and Technical Education
(CTE) program that is open to all students. The expected growth of the town contributes to the
increased focus and appreciation for the benefits of CTE for students in the CISD because of the
increased employment opportunities across a number of sectors. Over the past five years, the
CISD CTE program has produced a participation rate of 70% of students in grades 9-12.
However, the career pathway student completion rate has been approximately 35%. The CISD
district leadership would like to understand the factors influencing these trends and adopt new
strategies designed to achieve a higher completion rate.
We set out to conduct a program evaluation to identify the factors that shape students’
decisions to enroll in CTE; persist (or not) in the CTE program; and to describe the conditions
and contexts that support students’ personal, academic, and career goals. Our research focused
on answering the following questions.
1. To what extent are students who enroll in a CTE Pathway their freshman (1st)
year completing that CTE Pathway in their 4th year?
2. What factors influence a student’s decision to enroll in a CTE course and/or CTE
pathway?
3. What factors influence departure from or completion of a CTE pathway?
4. What benefits do students gain from participating in the CTE program?
1 The pseudonym Capstone Independent School District is used to maintain confidentiality of our research site.
Names of the town and high schools have also been changed to maintain confidentiality.
2
This report details our process for gathering data and analyzing data using a
mixed-method approach. The quantitative data gathered from district data and student and
teacher surveys helped us understand the factors that influence a student’s decision to enroll and
persist in a CTE pathway and to investigate the benefits that students gain from participating in
the CTE program. Qualitative data from interviews with students, teachers, and staff was
analyzed to unpack students' experiences in the CTE program in a deep and complete manner.
We planned for our work to assist the CISD CTE leadership team to make adjustments to their
program that will improve student completion rates, increase the “post high school credentialing
for all” mission, and meet the goals the district has articulated. The following recommendations
are discussed in more detail in our repor
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17719
Career and Technical Education; Completion Rates; Leadership
Learning for the Future, Building From the Past: An Evaluation of a Texas Career and Technical Education Program
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/2922020-04-22T06:56:47Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
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Hollenberg, Eugene
author
Henrick, Erin
author
Hamilton, Melissa
author
2008-02-22T19:30:41Z
In the fall of 2005, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) opened three magnet middle schools in a portion of the school district with a high minority population and percentage of students receiving free and
reduced meals.
The district grouped the schools, Argyle Magnet School for Information Technology, A. Mario Loiederman Magnet School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and Parkland Magnet School for Aerospace Technology,
into the Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC). MCPS used their current strategic plan, "Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence", completed in 2004, to develop the blueprint for implementation at the
schools.
A Peabody College team was asked to look at the planning and 1st year of implementation of the consortium. In order to observe, document, and report on the progress of the consortium schools, the team asked the following guiding questions:
1. How does the MCPS MSMC fit within the strategic plan, Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence?
2. In what ways does the MSMC demonstrate research-based best practices of middle school reform?
3. What lessons have been learned in the first year of implementation?
In order to better understand the planning and implementation of the consortium, several different information sources were used. Research from "Turning Points 2000" and "Breaking Ranks in the Middle" was
used to determine best practices. These practices then were applied to the common elements of the consortium schools in answering the guiding questions.
The study determined that early trend data for achievement, demographic shifts, and school climate is positive in meeting the goals of the MSAP grant and the district strategic plan.
Common themes discovered through the case study include:
- High levels of teacher and administrator professionalism
- Quality leadership
- An emerging model for professional development
- Strong academic content
- Concerns about physical plant and appropriate equipment
The study makes several recommendations. Recommendations directed at the MSMC include:
- Planning for magnet school student transition to high school
- Developing plans for the end of the magnet grant
- Further study for evaluation
o MSA data review
o NWEA MAP expected growth comparisons
o Qualitative review benchmarked by this report
Recommendations for all MCPS middle schools include:
- Developing principal cohorts among all schools
- Embedded professional development focused on learning and instruction
- Ensuring resource availability prior to change implementation
- Exploring heterogeneous grouping in all classes
After a year of implementation, it appears that MSMC schools have been successful in attracting students to unique programs reflecting best practice and achieving the goals of the MSAP grant and the MCPS strategic plan. With continued care and monitoring from administrators and teachers, the probability of long-term success is high.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/292
Argyle Magnet School for Information
A. Mario Loiederman Magnet School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Parkland Magnet School for Aerospace Technology
Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC)
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Answering the Call: Lessons Learned from Montgomery County Middle School Magnet Consortium
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177142022-09-16T10:29:15Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Dever, Lora
author
Sehring, Molly
author
2021-05
Fort Worth Independent School District’s performance on state achievement and growth measures ranks among the lowest compared to similarly sized districts across the state of Texas. These results sparked an intense focus on improving student learning and increasing equity, as well as a series of initiatives to redesign and revitalize FWISD schools. As a critical step toward achieving these goals, the district adopted a data visualization platform, a potentially powerful tool to assist educators in sound data-based decision making. In this study, we utilized qualitative methods to gather information on the day-to-day decision-making activities of teachers, school leaders, and district administrators, and examined the nature and quality of data use in their decision-making processes. Our research is centered on interviews and focus groups conducted with 77 staff members from 6 school campuses and 3 central office departments. We found that stakeholders across the district experience inconsistent challenges with data literacy skills, the clarity of the vision for data use at the district and on each campus was inconsistent, as was the amount of structured time for collaborative data use, and most participants reported being uncertain or unaware of how to best use data to promote equity in practice. Our report concludes with recommendations for district leaders to leverage their new data visualization tool.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17714
data literacy
data culture
organizational learning
social network
sensemaking
Data Use and Decision Making in Fort Worth ISD
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/52012013-05-09T20:13:35Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Lanahan, D.
author
Weyburn, J.
author
2012-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5201
Capstone
District
Performance
Birmingham
Ed's Report Card: A Framework for District Performance, Birmingham Education Foundation
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/71072020-04-22T06:32:45Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Goldwasser, Molly
author
Harris, Eugenia
author
Martin, Kimberly
author
2014-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7107
College
Martin Methodist college
remediation
Remediation to Success: Martin Methodist College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/52942020-04-22T08:20:03Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Ferniany, Dylan H.
author
Kucaj, Anna F.
author
Shearon, Tyler B.
author
2013-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5294
Capstone
Formative assessment
Assessment
Exploring Formative Assessment: Current Practices in Westside Consolidated School District
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177252022-09-19T19:59:26Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Collins, Scott
author
Varney, Kristine
author
2022
Sustainability is a major topic for independent schools and has been for at least the past decade, as
discussions emerged after the 2008 financial crisis with tuitions continuing to rise. In 2022, many
school leaders find themselves in a challenging financial situation and having similar discussions
surrounding sustainability. It appears that in particular, small independent schools may face
unique challenges that larger schools do not encounter, or when they do face the same challenges,
the impact is greater due to the school’s size. The National Association of Independent Schools
(NAIS) seeks information about the current state of small schools, with the goal of providing
tailored resources to support small schools. This capstone study examines the landscape of small
NAIS-member schools today, as well as how small independent school leaders help their schools
to become or remain sustainable in a competitive educational marketplace.
Research Questions
1. What is the landscape of small schools in terms of types of schools, enrollment
trends, and financial factors?
2. What are small schools’ most pressing challenges surrounding sustainability?
3. What approaches, activities, and strategies have worked for small schools to support
sustainability?
We define sustainability as having access to the resources, financial and otherwise, necessary to
achieve the organization’s mission in both the short and long term. To answer these questions, we
used a mixed methods approach with both qualitative and quantitative data collection. We used
data from the NAIS Data and Analysis for School Leadership (DASL) database to assess the small
independent school landscape from the years 2007 to 2022. All data is self-reported by school
leaders, and going back fifteen years added a level of complication to our analysis, as more schools
reported more of the data over time. We then surveyed current heads of small schools to assess
their perceptions of sustainability, what challenges they face, and what strategies they use to
combat these challenges. Finally, we interviewed five school heads from schools with different
characteristics, to learn more about how these challenges might look in the different
environments and what approaches leaders have taken that other schools might emulate
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17725
Independent Schools; Sustainability; Challenges; Organization
The Sustainability of Small Independent Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/84502017-10-16T17:35:15Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Burns, Bridget
author
Durojaiye, Ande
author
2017-05
To understand and enhance the adult student retention rates, Dyersburg State Community College (DSSC) contacted the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University to have graduate students conduct a study of the adult student retention. This is a case study deploying a mixed methods approach to diagnose a dramatic decline in adult student enrollment at a rural community college.
Guided by Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon’s (2014) Theory of Student Retention at Commuter Colleges and Universities, the researchers utilized a quantitative survey, regional trend analysis for comparison, qualitative interviews (with current faculty, administrators, and adult students), a process mapping session, and a review of extant literature. The quantitative survey did not yield compelling data that would be useful for the institution. The trend analysis showed that the institution suffered an adult student decline related to regional economic shifts, and a similar drop when compared with statewide and national data. The trend analysis also found that female adult students have higher retention rates than males, and White adult students are retained at a higher rate that African American students.
While the qualitative interviews found that students were extremely positive about the institution, they also identified several places where the campus could improve experiences. The qualitative study found that adult students’ decisions to persist were based on a host of factors, including spousal support, financial circumstances, and the positive interaction with faculty and staff. Interaction with faculty and staff was positive and directly addressed both concepts of institutional commitment to student welfare and institutional integrity, which both are antecedents for persistence.
After identifying key themes, challenges, and areas of concern for current adult students, researchers held a process mapping session with campus administrators, capturing the interaction between the institution and the student from first contact through the end of the first term enrolled. Drawing upon extant literature and examples of student-success-focused process mapping at Georgia State University and Michigan State University, the team identified several incidents of overcommunication, undercommunication, contradictory messages being sent, and where the campus could benefit from redesigning key student experiences to optimize the experience of incoming adult students.
Guided by these findings, several recommendations are offered to the DSCC administration, staff, and faculty to inform practice and procedures. Campus administrators should convene cross-functional teams to redesign the admissions process, campus communication norms, and academic advising. Specific policy recommendations are made relating to book purchasing by students identified as low-income and the admissions application.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8450
Retention
Student Retention
Adult Student
Rural
Community College
The Long Road: Adult Student Retention at a Rural Community College: A Case Study
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177172022-09-19T19:57:49Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Rogers, Justina Jones
author
Barber, Stephen
author
2021-05
Small, private, liberal arts colleges face challenges in enrolling first-year students due to demographic trends impacting their target populations and unsustainable financial aid allocation strategies. Marietta College, located in Marietta, Ohio, epitomizes this dynamic as they embark on a set of strategic efforts to grow their first-year cohort and total student population. Our quantitative and qualitative research and analysis of this institution’s enrollment management work focuses on three areas of interest: the relationship between financial aid and enrollment, specifically for out-of-state students; how campus visitation impacts enrollment; and how website user experience influences enrollment.
Key analytic findings included, among others, the ideal range of students most likely to yield at Marietta College based on a review of historical applicant data, a statistically significant relationship between campus visitation and enrollment, insight into the factors influencing students to ultimately choose Marietta College, and qualitative feedback from prospective college students on their user experience with the institution’s website. Lastly, we offer a series of strategic recommendations for Marietta College leadership to consider across four distinct areas: ideal student population(s) to target, recruitment strategy, campus tours and other on-campus programming, and website and virtual engagement. While limited in scope and generalizability, we anticipate our findings and recommendations will add to the existing knowledge base for similarly situated institutions facing enrollment growth challenges.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17717
liberal arts colleges
college choice
campus visitation
website user experience
enrollment management
student yield
tuition discounting
college admissions
Enrollment Growth Strategies for the Contemporary Liberal Arts College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94162020-04-22T10:23:14Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Quarles, Ryan
author
Woody, Mara
author
2018-05
Regarding adult learners Kasworm (2008) aptly stated, "learning is an act of hopeÓ (p. 27). Adult learners" (those classified as students over the age of 24) motivation for pursuing higher education is a story of hope in futures and dreams. Adults choose to study postsecondary education for many reasons: improve employment progression, create more opportunities, navigate rapidly changing workplace demands, address technological innovations, and extend productivity over their lifespans (Anderson, 2011; Brown, 2002; Bulgar & Watson, 2006; Chickering, 1981; Ross- Gordon, 2011; Wlodkowski, Mauldin & Gahn, 2001;).
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9416
Adult Learners
Community College
Reconnecting to Dyersburg State Community College: A Renewed Hope for Adult Learners in Tennessee
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177122022-09-16T10:28:45Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Daniels, Kelsey
author
Knowlton, Molly
author
Taylor, Angela King
author
2021-05
This study aims to build a deeper understanding of the extent to which liberal arts experiences lead to the building of liberal arts skills and to determine whether these skills ultimately help students arrive at their first destination post-graduation. To this end, we worked with the The Honors College (THC) at the Northwest Research University* to see how current and former students engaged with and benefited from their honors college experience. We utilized a mixed-methods approach, including a qualitative, quantitative, and benchmarking component, to explore the experiences of THC students and alumni. Our study finds that while students do obtain liberal arts skills that can help them reach their first destinations, they are often unable to translate and apply these skills into professional workplaces, especially non-academic ones. This study provides an important addition to the literature as it explores the role of liberal arts experiences on students’ first post-graduation outcomes, such as employment, prestigious fellowships, graduate programs, and in some cases, an intentional gap year. It further confirms that liberal arts skills can be cultivated outside of the traditional liberal arts college environment.
*These are pseudonyms.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17712
career placement
honors college
college outcomes
liberal arts
value of higher education
value of liberal arts
liberal arts and careers
career services
career preparation
liberal arts and research universities
liberal arts and 21st century skills
First Destination Preparation: The Role of the Liberal Arts
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/43332020-04-22T08:21:49Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bass, Kengie Ray
author
2009-04
The focus of this Capstone is to examine the impact of Youth Services Centers (YSCs) on middle schools and middle school faculty members in Jerrerson County, Kentucky. Presently, Jefferson Count Public Schools (JCPS) has 95 Family Resource and Youth Services Centers (FRYSC) serving the student population comprised in 131 of the school district's schools. JCPS has developed five fundamental goals to assist in achieving the FRYSCs's mission. These goals include: (1) improve attendance; (2) decrease behavior and suspension issues; (3) increase academic support; (4) improve physical and mental health; and (5) improve parent relations, support, and assistance.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4333
Youth Service Centers
Whatever It Takes: Examining the Impact of Youth Service Centers in Jefferson County (KY) Public Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94172020-04-22T10:23:12Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bell, Barbara
author
Bugg, Maya M.
author
Wingfield, Andrew S.
author
2018-04
This study explores the most effective approach for designing an educational ecosystem for a fledgling master-planned community that is grounded in an array of industry, community, and higher education partnerships. More specifically, this research provides recommendations to Sterling Ranch, Colorado, a technologically-advanced community that will eventually be home to over 40,000 residents. With an underlying focus on lifelong learning, this study makes recommendations for creating a wide array of educational opportunities through strategic community partnerships. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, both the qualitative and quantitative components of this research are framed within Emily Talen's The Social Goals of New Urbanism (2002), which features three core tenets: community, social equity, and common good. Additionally, the constructs of New Urbanism, innovation districts, and urban redesign inform the framework of this study. The researchers visited six sites across four states and two countries to conduct interviews with area residents, developers, and other community stakeholders to discern best practices in community development, and a survey was distributed to potential Sterling Ranch residents to gain insights into local preferences, priorities, and values.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9417
Sterling Ranch
Strategic Development
Development
Lifelong Learning
Partnership
Sterling Ranch, Colorado: Fostering a Culture of Lifelong Learning through Strategic Partnership Development
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/4112020-04-22T06:56:37Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Pennywell, Judith
author
Chang, Yating
author
2008-03-24T20:53:55Z
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/411
Internationalization of Austin Peay State University: A Strategic Plan for the 21st Century
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94212020-04-22T10:23:01Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Donald, Christopher
author
Heiser, Evan
author
2018
Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is a private, nonprofit institution of higher education located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA. The institution enrolls 1,880 students; approximately 1,000 are traditional undergraduates. In the last 20 years, the student body at EMU has become less Mennonite and more racially and ethnically diverse. EMU is interested in applying data to develop a better understanding of the differential experiences of diverse students on campus, to identify improvements and changes that can extend the quality of the "EMU experience" to all students, and to create a framework for continuing assessment.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9421
Community
Diversity
Student Population
Eastern Mennonite University: Promoting Community for a Diverse Student Population
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177212022-09-19T19:58:59Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Edwards, Raymond Jr.
author
Harrison-Stephens, Lerai
author
2022
Within the past several years, Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana
(TFA-GC) has adopted a strengthened desire to extend the development of alumni
members who have completed their initial two-year commitment. This expanded
mission has prompted Teach For America Greater Chicago/Northwest Indiana to
cultivate a pipeline of programs that will support alumni members and non-alumni
members to engage in professional development programs that prepare and support
them in their leadership aspirations. Even in the most marginalized schools, strong
principals make a positive difference in the academic outcomes of their students
(Consortium on Chicago School Research, 2008). Therefore, part of TFA-GC’s strategy
is to boost the career trajectory of individual members by offering them targeted
programs at key moments in their career that will prepare them for success as
educational leaders.
This study appraises the efficacy of their school-based leadership suite programs
through investigating the program participants’ perceptions of the programs’ efficacy.
We examined the elements of TFA-GC’s theory of change including building leadership
programs, the impacts of coaching and mentoring, and the social benefits experienced
by alumni who participate. We used a mixed-methods project design that combined
quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Based upon our
findings, we offer recommendations to TFA-GC on ways they can improve their
school-based leadership suite programs.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17721
Teach for America; Suite-Based Programming; Alumni; Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
Beyond the Corp: Exploring the Efficacy of Teach for America-Greater Chicago/Northwest Indiana School-Based Alumni Suite Programming
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94122020-04-22T10:32:58Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/75242020-04-22T06:11:48Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Day, John Mark
author
Flynn, Gena Brooks
author
Moore, Cyndee Perdue
author
2015
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7524
Persistence
Completion
Low-income
low income
low income student
student persistence
university of memphis
memphis
Seeing it Through: Persistence and Completion of Low-Income Students at the University of Memphis
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/4682011-02-11T17:42:38Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Hill, David
author
Lewis, Jessica
author
Pearson, Jason
author
2008-04-07T16:40:30Z
Executive Summary
In the current K-12 educational landscape, data-driven decision-making (DDDM) is believed to hold great potential for improving the quality of classroom instruction. This analysis of the capacity of principals and teachers in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) for DDDM was initiated by a district belief that DDDM among educators is unsatisfactory. An evaluation of this perceived problem reveals a generally positive picture of DDDM capacity reported by district educators. However, closer analyses reveal evidences that principals and teachers may be less fluent in DDDM than they report.
Key findings include:
- In contrast to district officials' concerns about principals' and teachers' variable knowledge of DDDM, most principals and teachers report feeling adept at DDDM.
- Teachers and principals have similar perceptions of DDDM norms among schools' teaching staffs, both believing that teachers practice DDDM frequently.
- There is a disconnect between principals' expectations that teachers use data to inform instruction and their leadership role as one that guides teachers' ability to interpret data.
- Despite the inconsistency of formal training experiences focused on DDDM, most teachers believe that they have adequate support from their principals for DDDM.
- MNPS provides a number of resources - including frequent meetings, data reporting, and technological software - related to DDDM; however, most emphasize data interpretation over data application.
- In addition to concerns about untimely data, principals and teachers - as well as district officials themselves - agree that the district has an underdeveloped and insufficient process for learning about educators' needs for DDDM.
These findings point to several key areas for improvement leading to a set of recommendations for improving district training in DDDM, along with plans for effective, data-based evaluations of these suggested action steps.
Key recommendations include:
- Invest in teacher leadership.
- Establish expectations of participation in current leadership development opportunities.
- Create a district-wide induction program for principals and teachers.
- Increase principal time to focus on leadership for learning.
- Access funding resources for high quality leadership development.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/468
Metro Nashville Public Schools Student Assessment Staff Development Model
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/155832020-09-01T21:04:25Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bailey, Richard
author
Kaye, Rebecca
author
2020-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15583
MNPS
public school
metro
metro nashville
improvement
instruction
The Slow Work of Changing Thinking: Metro Nashville Making Sense of a System for Instructional Improvement
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/82132020-04-22T08:58:31Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Henderson, Shellana M.
author
Burton-Krieger, Meagan C.
author
McClendon, Mark E.
author
2016-05
In attempts to understand and then maximize its student success rates, Birmingham Southern College (BSC) has asked a team of Vanderbilt doctoral candidates to conduct a study of retention on its campus. The Vanderbilt team created a mixed methodology study that aims to empirically answer two questions: (1) what characteristics distinguish BSC students as likely to persist, and (2) how do students’ perceptions about their degree of social integration affect their likelihood to persist or leave?
Guided by Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon’s (2004) Revised Theory of Student Retention at Residential Colleges and Universities, we used three methodologies: a trend analysis, a quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews. The trend analysis utilized data that BSC already collects on its students in order to derive a collection of student characteristics, or profiles, that illustrate which students persist and which departs. The trend analysis provided a preliminary understanding of BSC’s retention patterns that informed the quantitative and qualitative studies. The quantitative
study surveyed BSC’s entire fall 2015 student body in order to assess the policies and practices that shape students’ campus experience. Utilizing Braxton et. al. (2014) survey, we were not only able to capture students’ experiences at, and perspectives of, BSC, but we also able to assess the relevancy and accuracy of Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon’s (2004) model on a small, residential, liberal art college in the Southeast. Finally, the qualitative study used purposeful sampling to further examine the experiences and perspectives of BSC students; additionally, it collected the experiences and perspectives of BSC faculty and staff as they pertain to students’ experiences at BSC. The trend analysis and quantitative survey addressed our first study question. First, the trend analysis found that retention rates decline as students move into their second, then third, and fourth year. Retention and four-year graduation rates are highest among female students, when compared to their male counterparts. White students have higher retention and four-year graduation rates over Black/African American students. Further, students with higher high school academic achievements, such as high school GPA and ACT scores, have higher retention and graduation rates. There seems to be little sizable trend difference in retention and graduation rates among athletes and non-athletes; however, women athletes have higher retention and graduation rates than male athletes and non-athletes. Finally, students who do not participate in Greek organization have lower retention and graduation rates; and females in Greek organization have higher retention rates than males in Greek organizations and those not in Greek organizations at all. Then, our quantitative study found that students’ race and gender are significant factors in the likelihood that BSC will retain them.
The quantitative and qualitative studies addressed our second study question. Both studies found that communal potential, “or the degree to which a student perceives that a subgroup of students exists within the college community with which that student could share similar values, beliefs, and goals” (Yorke & Longden, 2004, p. 95), is a significant factor of students’ social integration, which influences their decision to persist. At BSC, communal opportunities could be found in the classrooms, student organizations and clubs.
Informed by these findings, several recommendations are offered to the BSC staff and faculty. These recommendations discuss the policies and practices of Institutional Research, Academics and academic support services, academic advising, and the Office of Student Development
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8213
retention
college
communal
communal approach
birmingham southern college
A Communal Approach to Retention: Birmingham Southern College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/84522020-04-22T08:46:31Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Campbell, Matthew D.
author
Gesualdi, Nicholas J.
author
Moquin, Rachel W.
author
2017-05
The Tennessee Charter School Center (TCSC) formed in
2013 through the merger of the Tennessee Charter School
Incubator and the Tennessee Charter Schools Association.
The TCSC combines the functions and resources of the
previous two groups by promoting education and awareness
of charter schools, advancing policy and advocacy,
supporting innovation and incubation of charter schools,
and supporting leaders at charter schools across the state.
Perhaps the largest human capital concern for these schools
is the yearly movement of teachers out of the classroom.
Unquestionably, some turnover is healthy for schools, but
retaining higher numbers of effective teachers is a priority
for all charter schools across the state. Understanding the
causes and patterns of these departures will allow the TCSC
to support their schools more effectively and offer the
opportunity to tailor future hiring and retention practices to
the unique needs of each school. In an effort to understand
the current labor portrait, we explored the following project
questions:
1. How do teachers at Tennessee Charter Schools rate their
satisfaction regarding four common causes of teacher
attrition (instructional support, compensation, school
conditions, burnout)?
2. How do teacher characteristics (gender, race, age,
teaching experience, educational attainment) influence
teachers’ attrition plans at Tennessee Charter Schools?
3. How do variations in charter school characteristics
(network CMO vs. local CMO vs. standalone school,
established vs. startup, elementary vs. secondary)
influence teachers’ attrition plans at Tennessee Charter
Schools?
4. Within our framework, what factors predict teacher
attrition at Tennessee Charter Schools?
To answer these questions, we combined quantitative and
qualitative data from a survey instrument that was
completed by 131 charter school teachers in Memphis and
Nashville across a variety of building contexts. For the first
project question, we operationalized each attrition factor
using existing scales and surveyed teacher opinion. For the
second project question, we gathered relevant teacher
characteristics from the demographic portion of our survey.
For the third project question, we gathered relevant school
characteristics from the introductory portion of our survey.
To answer the fourth project question, we ran multiple
regressions with various predictor and outcome variables.
For each question we analyzed quantitative data using
appropriate statistical methods to gauge significance and
coded qualitative responses for themes and illustrative
quotes.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8452
Charter
Charter Schools
Attrition
Teacher Attrition
An Analysis of Teacher Attrition in Tennessee Charter Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/75182020-04-22T06:18:11Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Balossi, Matthew C.
author
Hernandez, Natalia R.
author
2015-04
http://hdl.handle.net.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/1803/7518
teacher
quality
teacher quality
Independent
Independent School
On Teacher Quality in Independent Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/84492020-04-22T06:16:25Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bullard, Dana Miller
author
Dede, Sosepriala
author
2017-05-23
This mixed-method capstone project examines district-level strategies designed to create a strong sense of belonging and personalized learning in the Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY. Our research focused on three middle schools, and included a review of JCPS data books, classroom observations, leadership and teacher professional learning community observations, teacher and instructional leader interviews, and document collection. Our findings suggest that: the schools studied have created a well-developed sense of belonging for students even while leadership teams have differing approaches to motivation and creating culture; students are participating in personalized learning, but there is a high degree of uncertainty about the definition of personalized learning among staff; and district administrators conduct reviews and analyses of JCPS data in a consistent and timely manner. We recommend that JCPS develop a consistent platform for personalized learning and communicate the definition and strategies to teachers effectively. Additionally, we recommend that school leadership in the district share current practices across and within schools in creating a sense of belonging and that they begin to include an additional focus on academic press.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8449
Middle School
JCPS
Public School
Student academics
Outcomes
Improvement
Personalized
Learning
Personalized learning
Personalizing the Institution: A Study of Three JCPS Middle Schools' Efforts to Improve Student Academic Outcomes
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/75202020-04-22T06:13:58Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Baker, Troy
author
Campbell, Stephen
author
Ostroff, Dave
author
2015-05
http://hdl.handle.net.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/1803/7520
Independent
School
Independent School
Leadership
School Leadership
Strategic Thinking
Independent School Leadership: Heads, Boards and Strategic Thinking
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94962020-04-22T10:24:40Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Blake, Robin
author
Hearn, Bryan
author
Heaton, Sarah
author
2019-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9496
DOE-EM
STEM
DOE-EM STEM
workforce
development
An Evaluation of DOE-EM STEM Education and Workforce Development Programs
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/159912020-09-18T22:13:59Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Adinolfi, Leah
author
2020-05
This study further explores the salience of the theory of student persistence at residential colleges and universities (Braxton, Doyle, Hartley, Hirschy, Jones, & McLendon, 2014) at a small, private, HBCU located in Jackson, Tennessee. 126 first-year students were surveyed using a combination of the College Student Experiences Survey and a subset of questions, related specifically to faculty mentoring relationships, taken from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire. The findings confirm relationships between communal potential and social integration in addition to relationships between institutional integrity and subsequent institutional commitment. Comparing results to a similar study conducted by Baker, Arroyo, Braxton, Gasman & Francis in 2018, questions were raised regarding ideal timeframes for administration of the survey and potential replacement use of factors previously examined as antecedents serving as proxy variables in place of outcome variables when longitudinal study is not feasible.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15991
capstone
lane college
persistence
student persistence
Toward an Understanding of Student Peristence at Lane College: A Test of a Theory of College Student Persistence
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/95022020-04-22T10:31:29Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Kucker, Patricia
author
Martiros, Melissa
author
2019-05
To explore and understand the impact of the Affinity Bonding recruitment model at Alderson Broaddus University, we employed a mixed methods approach research design to answer the following questions: (1) What are the pre-entry attributes and institutional experiences of enrolled students that predict departure after the first year? (2.A) What perceptions do undergraduate students have about positive experiences at Alderson Broaddus during their first year? (2.B) What perceptions do undergraduate students have about negative experiences during their first year?
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9502
Retention
Student retention
Bonding
Affinity bonding
Student Retention in an Affinity Bonding Model: Alderson Broaddus University
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/54702013-05-30T20:47:32Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Wilburn, James
author
McMillian, Reynard Trea
author
2012-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5470
Capstone
Financial Aid
Differentiation
Retention
College
Effects of Financial Aid Differentiation on First-Year Retention in Private Colleges in Tennessee
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/39892020-04-22T08:11:15Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Chapman, Carter Sean
author
Donnelly, Kathryn Lee
author
McGraner, Kristin Lynne
author
2008-04
This report examines the role of GEAR UP site coordinators and school counselors in the development and implementation of GEAR UP Tennessee. The GEAR UP Tennessee program is an ambitious effort that offers a myriad of interventions to support academic preparation and college access in rural communities across the state. Though supported by a network of local and state partners, the program gives the nine participating districts discretion in the design and implementation of initiatives at the local level. Site coordinators are the primary agents charged with the responsibility of district-level implementation. Within the school context, school counselors are the individuals with the organizational proximity necessary for meaningful interactions with students concerning educational advancement. While GEAR UP Tennessee has collected data relative to the program's effects on schools, teachers, and parents, the work of site coordinators and school counselors has been largely overlooked. Therefore, in response to a request for assistance from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), we developed the following research questions:
How does the program structure and district context shape site 1) coordinators' implementation of GEAR UP? 2)What factors affect school counselors' implementation of GEAR UP initiatives?
We conducted 63 semi-structured interviews with GEAR UP site coordinators, district leaders, school principals, school counselors and THEC officials. Interviews were designed to gather information on the district's performance in preparing students for post-secondary education; the respondent's knowledge of and role within GEAR UP; district and school supports and barriers affecting implementation, which include issues around individual and institutional capacity and will; the coherence of program messages and the sense-making in which respondents engaged to make decisions about their participation in the program and its implementation; and respondents' perceptions of program effects. Our data reveal that:
Participating school districts were pressured by, and as a result largely focused on, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) compliance. The presence of NCLB largely detracted from the district's ability to fully embrace GEAR UP and integrate it into their district improvement plan.
District and school leaders possessed little knowledge about GEAR UP, its intended implementation, and the appropriate role structure of site coordinators, district personnel, and school personnel.
Most site coordinators did not perceive GEAR UP as a potential lever for systemic change.
Site coordinators and school counselors received little substantive support from state and local leadership relative to implementation of GEAR UP college access interventions. The content of site coordinators' work focused predominantly on activity planning, resource distribution, and grant compliance.
The community culture, specifically the "welfare state of mind," was perceived by all respondents as a barrier to advancing students' educational attainment.
Training and professional development activities have been provided for site coordinators with a primary focus on grant compliance and reporting mechanisms. Site coordinators reported few opportunities to deepen their knowledge of how to increase students' academic preparation and college access, which has significant effects on implementation outcomes, program sustainability, and systemic change.
Training for district and school personnel has been lacking and, in many cases, nonexistent.
The work of school counselors is influenced by the lack of a coherent counseling curriculum, time constraints, and role ambiguity. Consequently, counselors provide sporadic support and leadership in GEAR UP implementation.
As a result of these findings, we offer the following recommendations to ensure full program implementation and the attainment of program goals:
1) Improve the visibility and effectiveness of site coordinators by developing communication networks among coordinators and school and district personnel; creating comprehensive training manuals for coordinators; and implementing a series of trainings which address the factors influencing students' academic preparation and college access, as well as program implementation strategies supportive of GEAR UP goals.
2) Educate and involve district and school leadership by developing a GEAR UP TN Leaders Guide in tandem with GEAR UP TN leadership trainings. Trainings will create the forum to collaboratively plan with site coordinators in order to align GEAR UP TN interventions to both the district and school improvement plans.
3) Educate and involve the school counselor by developing a GEAR UP TN School Counselors Guide in tandem with GEAR UP TN counseling trainings. Trainings will help counselors implement college preparation curricula, improve collaborative planning with site coordinators, and develop communication networks among counselors.
4) Collectively develop a comprehensive sustainability plan which determines how to effectively disseminate data; galvanize support of the school counselor as well as district and school leadership within GEAR UP TN; and effect state-level policy change to enhance the core goals of GEAR UP TN.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3989
Project Gear Up
Site Coordinators
School Counselors
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
Gear Up Tennessee: Examining the Roles of Site Coordinators and School Counselors in the Development and Implementation of Program Initiatives
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/75232020-04-22T06:17:25Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Doran, Todd
author
Mugg, Heather
author
2015-05-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7523
Community
community education
integrative education
faculty reward
rhodes
rhodes college
Community Integrative Education and the Faculty Reward Structure at Rhodes College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94182020-04-22T10:23:05Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Vilines, Laura
author
Bianchi, Jon-Paul
author
2019-04-19
Over the last decade, an increasing number of school districts have focused on school finance reform as a critical component of school improvement initiatives. One approach - known as student-based budgeting, student-based funding, or weighted student funding - focuses on the equitable distribution of funds within a district.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9418
Metro Nashville Public Schools
MNPS
Student-Based Budget
Adequacy
In Pursuit: Equity, Adequacy, and Autonomy
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/82162020-04-22T09:02:19Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Daughtrey, William
author
Hester, William
author
Weatherill, Kevin
author
2016-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8216
independent
independent school
day school
tuition
trends
tuition trends
Tuition Trends in Independent Day Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/70992020-04-22T06:09:27Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
De Guia, Vanessa A.
author
Johnson, Nathan T.
author
2014-03
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7099
Buffalo
buffalo promise neighborhood
promise neighborhood
school choice
Buffalo Promise Neighborhood (BPN)
Buffalo Promise Neighborhood Parents and School Choice: Who Stays, Who Leaves, and Why?
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94202020-04-22T10:23:02Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Greenwell, Joseph
author
Guerin, Allison
author
Parada-Villatoro, Amanda
author
2018-05
California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) is one of twenty-three universities in the California State University (CSU) system and is a highly diverse, four-year, public university located in the San Francisco Bay Area. CSUEB, along with all CSU campuses, is currently planning how to best achieve the benchmarks outlined under the state's Graduation Initiative 2025. To improve student success within the CSU system, CSUEB seeks to increase its four-year graduation rate from 14% to 35% and its six-year freshmen graduation rate from 48% to 62% by 2025. A critical step in achieving these goals is to increase the first-time, first-year student retention rate. In this study, we adopt a mixed methods approach to identify the characteristics of CSUEB students that predict first-year departure and understand the experiences of students who posses these same risk factors and persisted to a second year of college. Taking a strengths-based perspective, we specifically seek to understand what practices, supports, and experiences, both in and out of the classroom, aided in high-risk students' persistence decisions.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9420
Diversity
Ethnic Diversity
East Bay
CSU East Bay
Student Retention
First-Year Student Retention
California State University, East Bay: A Strengths-based Examination of First-Year Student Retention at the Most Ethnically Diverse University in the Country
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/55312020-04-22T08:21:42Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Cottrell, Angela M.
author
Dries, Anne B.
author
James, Scott R.
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5531
Capstone
University
Retirement
Retirement Planning: Recommendations for Lynn University
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/36602011-02-11T18:49:10Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bryant, Mark Alan
author
Rowe, Christopher J.
author
2008-05
The purpose of this program evaluation is to provide the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University with a comprehensive evaluation of their Teaching Certificate program, which is in its third year of existence. As a joint project between the Graduate School and the Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt's Teaching Certificate program aims "to help graduate students, professional students, and post-doctoral fellows develop and refine their teaching skills through three cycles of teaching activities, each consisting of inquiry, experimentation, and reflection phases." (Vanderbilt University) Much like other teacher preparation programs described in the body of this document, the Teaching Certificate program combines workshops, teaching observation and feedback experiences, reading groups, a literature review, and reflective essays to achieve its outcomes. However, one element that sets the Vanderbilt program apart from similar programs is the required project that highlights the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The three cycles of inquiry, experimentation, and reflection increasingly emphasize teaching as a scholarly activity as defined by Boyer as one of four domains of scholarship. Specifically this evaluation seeks to answer three questions. The questions are:
1. What do participants learn in the program, including knowledge, skills, and attitudes?
2. How do they apply what they learn when teaching at Vanderbilt or in faculty positions obtained after leaving Vanderbilt?
3. What knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding teaching do Vanderbilt departments and programs want their doctoral students to possess upon graduation?
The deliverable for this project is an assessment of student learning and of the program's strengths and weaknesses in order to give the Center for Teaching useful information to improve the program and thereby improve the experience for the participants. This project consists of two phases: participant analysis and stakeholder analysis. The participant analysis stage primarily addresses the first two questions stated above and focuses on documents and interviews with actual program participants, both those currently in the program as well as the few who had completed all requirements. During the stakeholder analysis phase, external stakeholders defined as Directors of Graduate Study at Vanderbilt were interviewed in order to identify skills, abilities, and attitudes that they deem as important for their graduate students. This phase of the evaluation specifically addresses the third question stated above. Questions were used that elicited information about stakeholders' perceptions of the value of teaching preparation for their students as well as the departments' actual efforts or lack thereof in preparing their graduate students for teaching responsibilities which they may encounter as a faculty member.
For the participant phase, the investigators created an evaluation rubric in order to examine program documents. This rubric operationalized four of six stated program objectives. The remaining two program objectives not evaluated rely on "end-of-pipeline" analysis of participant performance once they have obtained full-time employment after graduation. Given that there are very few program finishers who have graduated from the university and moved into faculty roles, these two program objectives were not assessed. The rubric created to assess the four program objectives employed a 5-point scale and was used to gauge the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes of teaching as a scholarly activity. This quantitative approach allowed the investigators to assess the magnitude of knowledge gained regarding the four program objectives being evaluated. Based on the results of the document analysis a common interview protocol was developed in consultation with the Center for Teaching in order to extract more information than was obtained from the document analysis. This qualitative approach sampled participants from each of the three cycles and interviewed them in order to establish how participant content knowledge increased throughout the program. The second phase of this evaluation, the stakeholder analysis, sampled Directors of Graduate Study from across the campus and interviewed them using a common interview protocol in order to identify expectations and attitudes of graduate preparation for teaching.
It is important to note that this program evaluation contains important limitations that stem from the lack of program finishers, the lack of operationalized objectives, and the open-ended electronic portfolio reporting system. In addition, there were inconsistencies in documentation from one participant to another which probably impacted the level of reliability with the outcomes.
Three of the four objectives evaluated in the quantitative analysis suggest an increase in knowledge, skills, and attitudes of participants' learning with regard to the following: undergraduate learning, analysis of their own teaching, and engagement with their own teaching in a community of scholars. With the fourth objective, which is primarily a Cycle 3 activity, participants showed no significant difference at the end of Cycle 2 in approaching their own teaching as a scholarly activity. Based on these results, further information needed to be acquired by way of qualitative analysis to determine if the initial results were an accurate representation of the participants change. Based on results from the participant interviews, graduate students appear to fulfill the four program objectives evaluated and are able to approach their teaching as a scholarly activity and learn from their own teaching and from others' teaching. Participants self-report that they have gained knowledge and skills from their participation in the program and the analysis of data demonstrates an increase in knowledge, skills, and attitudes as they relate to teaching as a scholarly activity.
From interviews with the stakeholders, there is sufficient evidence of tension that exists between research and teaching at Vanderbilt. Departmental activities on training graduate students to teach vary widely but conform somewhat to trends in high and low consensus fields. The applied and natural sciences and some social sciences tend to focus more training on research skills while many humanities areas devote more resources to teaching in addition to that of research skills. However, many departments base their success on student placement after graduation with a high desire to be at research-intensive universities, even though many departments see their students at teaching-intensive institutions or in industry.
In conclusion, the investigators determined that there was a substantial increase in knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the scholarship of teaching and learning by program participants. Participant experience tends to vary widely depending on the department attitudes regarding teaching as evidenced from participant interviews and DGS interviews. The role of the DGS tends to be marginalized in many departments as a service duty rather than a professional role dedicated to strengthening graduate student education in research and teaching. As a result, it is important that the Center for Teaching be relied upon to fulfill the need for training in pedagogy in order to fully prepare doctoral students for professional employment. In addition, teaching opportunities should be increased in many departments in order to provide graduate students with more substantive experiences in teaching to enhance their profile as they seek professional employment. In comparison to other similar programs across the country, the Teaching Certificate program is on a positive trajectory to establish best practices in educating and evaluating teaching as a scholarly activity for the higher education community at large. A concern, however, is that of data management, which is important for quality evaluation of participant learning. Using operationalized objectives, variables should be evaluated on the basis of how participants are gaining knowledge, skills, and attitudes throughout the program. Inadequate data management threatens the significance of assessment in this program. Recommendations resulting from this program evaluation are listed below.
1. Program objectives should be operationalized in order to provide consistent evaluation of the increase in participant knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
2. When prompting participant reflection, the use of leading questions in the portfolio allows for more consistent reporting of outcomes in the various program cycles, which leads to greater validity when evaluating participant performance.
3. Possibly have participants revise their teaching statements more regularly than just at the end of the program, which should integrate their statements with every teaching activity undertaken.
4. Participants seem to enjoy a great deal of structure in the schedules, thus the use of soft deadlines or typical times to complete tasks can aid in efficient time management.
5. It is critical to effectively track the progress through the program in order to measure gains effectively, thus having students regularly self-report progress ensures accurate record keeping.
6. The portfolio system is clearly critical to evaluate participant progress, which justifies having a simple yet sophisticated system to handle self-reporting, tracking, and evaluation of participant activities.
7. Stakeholders are important to the continued success of the program and key faculty should be identified and approached as supporters of the program. Additionally, DGS's deemed potential supporters should be well-educated on the program in an effort to continue to have a stream of applicants who become participants.
8. A possibility could be to modify the participants' academic transcripts to note this significant accomplishment and to add credibility to the program and its participants with regard to SoTL.
9. The CFT should spearhead a concerted effort in partnership with the Graduate School to integrate teaching into the overall graduate student experience considering that so many end up in teaching positions.
10. The population of post-doctoral fellows is increasing and becomes an area of interest for gaining program participants, thus marketing efforts should be increased to this demographic.
11. A major benefit of this program is the 'high touch' approach to participant activities and this high level of service should be continued.
12. More consistent program evaluation is important to maintaining this important and critical program to the graduate student experience at Vanderbilt. The next formal evaluation should occur when more participants finish the program and gain full-time faculty employment in order to evaluate the two program objectives not assessed in this study.
The program has a strong foundation on which to build, and the ongoing efforts of the Center for Teaching staff to improve the program will no doubt make it a leader in its field and a model program for other institutions to emulate.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3660
teaching evaluation
Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt Teaching Certificate program
Content Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Gained in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the Teaching Certificate Program at Vanderbilt University: A Program Evaluation
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/54602013-05-30T20:12:37Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Duffie, Bryan
author
Towery, Rebecca
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5460
Capstone
Freshman
Academy
Community
Louisville Freshman Academies: Merging Academics and Community
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94232020-04-22T10:22:59Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
D'Agostino, Anthony J.
author
Hollis, Victoria C.
author
Marshall, John P.
author
2018-05
Under the terms of the NCLB Waiver, each state was required to identify and label the lowest-performing five percent of schools for "priority" status. Districts were offered four models from which they could choose: external management, re-staffing (turnaround), school closure, or transformation. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Louisville, Kentucky has the highest concentration of priority schools in the Commonwealth, and like many districts, chose the "turnaround" model, which called for significant turnover in leadership and staff. Following several years of interventions, three high schools have exited priority status while eight remain identified. As such, JCPS has an interest in discerning what the three high schools that exited priority status did to improve and whether strategies they employed could be implemented at other district high schools.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9423
Improvement
Turnaround
JCPS
Case Study
Improving Improvement: A Multi-Case Study of Turnaround Efforts in JCPS High Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/54622020-04-22T08:20:10Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Drake, Roger
author
Jacobs, Joshua E.
author
2011-03-28
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5462
Capstone
University
Catholic
Retention
Retention at a Small Catholic University
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/54652020-04-22T08:19:00Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Foster, Meredith L.
author
Fry, Stephen M.
author
Sawyer, Christian L.
author
2011-05-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5465
Capstone
Structure
Trimester
Teaching
Learning
The Structure of Time: How Trimester Schedules Impact Teaching and Learning in the Jefferson County Public Schools of Louisville, Kentucky
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/55342020-04-22T08:21:43Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Kirby, Steven
author
Murcray, Theodore
author
O'Linn, Frank
author
2011-05-06
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5534
Capstone
Read 180
High School
Read 180 in Four District High Schools: Examining Implementation Conditions and Processes
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/83282020-04-22T08:59:44Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Daughtery, Miah
author
William Hayes, David
author
2016-04
This project is a one‐year investigation of the nature of academic supports afforded
to limited English proficient students in the Jefferson County Public Schools district in
Louisville, KY. Surveys, interviews, observations, and document analysis were
conducted to illuminate some of the ways the district, schools, and individual
teachers increased the chances for academic success during the 2015‐2016 academic
year. This report presents current and relevant research on second language
learners, presents findings, and concludes with recommendations for the district.
This report shows that while the district makes available human and financial capital,
additional work on measurable goals, professional development, and structures for
tracking and scheduling will ultimately serve LEP students well. This project was
conducted by final year doctoral students at the Peabody College of Education at
Vanderbilt University. A complete works cited page accompanies the full report.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8328
LEP
proficiency
ELL
english
jefferson county
public school
academic support
An Investigation of Academic Support for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students in Jeffereson County Public Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/156012020-09-04T17:48:04Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Scott-Francis, Elizabeth
author
Smith, Katherine H.
author
Strasburger, Mathavi J.
author
2020-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15601
capstone
lyon college
student persistence
persistence
graduation
The Graduation Boost: Supporting Student Peristence at Lyon College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/51982020-04-22T08:20:12Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Gannon, Sam C.
author
Foltz, Laura G.
author
Kirschmann, Stephanie L.
author
2011-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5198
Capstone
SULI
Student Undergraduate Laboratory Internship
Making Comparisons & Examining Experiences: A Program Evaluation of the Department of Energy's Student Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) Program
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177162022-09-19T19:57:37Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Carlin, Caroline
author
Huddleston, Lauren
author
Humphrey, Regan
author
2021-05
As market-driven businesses, independent schools often rely on innovative practices to stay current for prospective families. In partnership with the National Organization of Independent Schools (NAIS), this mixed-methods study sought to uncover habits and cultural norms that are prevalent in schools with more innovative practices. Through quantitative survey analysis (using the School Culture Survey and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory) and qualitative interviews, we assess the cultural elements of innovative schools as shared in responses by administrators and faculty. Our research suggests that when a school has a positive culture, there is a relationship to its commitment to innovation. Innovation is cultural, curriculum-driven, and relies on community. Specifically, the data in this study points to a strong relationship between school cultures rooted in flexibility, trust, and congeniality with schools that self-identify as being innovative and confident in their ability to adapt to or promote curricular change.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17716
school culture
independent schools
diffusion of innovation
innovation
educational leadership
leadership
Innovation: A Disposition, Not a Destination
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/156032020-09-04T17:49:03Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Munhofen, Nicholas Blair, III
author
Vardi, Lisa Burchfield
author
2020-04
Within the past year, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) updated its mission, vision, and values to better reflect the trends impacting its more than 1,700 members. An increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) undergirds language around what matters most in these institutions. Demographic changes, which, in turn, impact enrollment projections at independent schools, are forcing NAIS member institutions to consider how they can create environments where every community member is welcomed and can thrive.
Given the increase of students of color in the US, as well as those attending independent schools, attention has been focused on how to not only attract those students to independent schools but also how to augment support for those students upon their enrollment. That students–both students of color and white students–benefit from classrooms led by a diverse faculty is well-founded, and, as such, independent schools are increasingly attentive to how they might hire and retain more teachers of color to meet the needs of students and their families. In providing a diverse, supportive environment where all families feel welcome and supported, independent schools themselves may thrive.
This study examines the school characteristics that impact the recruitment and retention of teachers of color. We seek to clarify how leadership practices, organizational culture and social networks impact the recruitment and retention of teachers of color in independent schools. Importantly, we identify effective strategies within leadership practices, organizational culture, and social networks that are effective in increasing the proportion of teachers of color within the independent school context. Though this topic is top of mind for many independent school leaders, formal and rigorous research investigating how leadership practices, organizational culture, and social networks influence the recruitment and retention of teachers of color is limited, with the most recent comprehensive study having been completed nearly two decades prior to this one. This study seeks to address the gaps in research and practice through a mixed-methods project design that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15603
capstone
recruitment
teacher recruitment
retention
teacher retention
nais
teachers of color
independent school
The Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of Color in NAIS Independent Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94982020-04-22T10:32:53Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Brown, NeShante
author
Bryce, Christy
author
Trapanese, Erin Mack
author
2019
In 2018, an urban district in the Southeastern United States, identified for this study as Manchester City Schools (MCS), developed a strategic plan under the newly hired superintendent. This strategic plan established a district road map centered around four pillars: Student Success, Team Excellence, Stakeholder Trust, and Effective Systems and Planning.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9498
SEL
Social Emotional Learning
Teacher Perceptions
Implementation
How Teacher Perceptions Influence Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program Implementation
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94192020-04-22T10:23:04Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Blahuta, Renee
author
Probst, Carolyn
author
Roumpos, Kenneth
author
2018-05
Tennessee has set ambitious student achievement goals for itself that include increasing students' levels of achievement and decreasing achievement gaps. A strategic plan, Tennessee Succeeds, codified these goals in October 2015 and identified rigorous state academic standards as a powerful lever for improving teaching practice and student outcomes. In April 2016, a four-year-long collaborative revision process culminated in the adoption of the K-12 Tennessee Academic Standards for Math and English Language Arts, which were expected to be in use in classrooms at the start of school year 2017- 18. Since early 2016, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has been engaged in an implementation process relative to these revised academic standards at the direction of the Tennessee State Board of Education (TSBE). This process has included state-led professional development to support districts and schools in implementing the revised standards in their classrooms.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9419
Early Implementation
Tennessee Mathematics
Tennessee Standards
Charting Progress toward Outcomes:
Analyzing the Role of Professional Development in
Early Implementation of Tennessee's Mathematics Standard
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/39932011-02-11T18:56:03Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Domas, George Matthew
author
Hicks, Ramona Ingrid
author
2008-05
The following project responds to a request by Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) to examine their student departure problem. Specifically, the KWC first-year retention rate is 54.8% (2006 freshman cohort, n= 323), well below the overall state average for independent colleges and university of 69.5% (AIKCU, 2006) and the national average 73.6% (NCHEMS, 2002). This is a challenge faced by many colleges and universities, and thus, there is extant literature available to assist in the analysis of the complicated puzzle of college student departure. We have reviewed and applied this literature in a systematic method to gain insight into the issues associated with student departure at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The ill-structured problem of college student departure is defined as the interaction between the individual student and the university or college attended (Braxton, Hirschy & McClendon, 2004). For the purpose of this project, all first-year Kentucky Wesleyan students are at-risk of college student departure, both residential and commuter students. Plus, the goals and objectives of the project include: assessment of the institutional retention levers --- KW1101, the PLUS Center, and the Academic Alert system, to determine efficacy and provide recommendations for improvement; exploration of reasons for early student departure through qualitative and quantitative analyses; and, recommendation of programs to improve retention. The project's guiding question is "What are the primary factors attributable to the significant attrition rate of first-year student at Kentucky Wesleyan College?" The examination of retention levers indicates that KWC has room for improvement in making these levers more efficacious in aiding student persistence. The positive aspect of this project is that most of the levers, when functioning effectively, will indeed perform as designed. The project team concludes that there is only one compelling component of this examination that truly answers the guiding question. The JV football program is attributable to the significant increase in first-year departure at Kentucky Wesleyan College; and therefore, the program should be retrenched, so as not to continue the investment with both negative student and institutional implications. In addition, the project team made fifteen additional recommendations based upon the assessment of the institutional policy levers identified to impact retention, as well as the quantitative analyses from the University Students' Experiences Survey. Moreover, the project team recommends that through a purposeful campaign, Kentucky Wesleyan College can renew policies, practices and interactions with students, undergirded by the theoretical foundation of a commitment of the institution to student welfare and institutional integrity, to help reduce the significant attrition rate among first-year students.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/3993
Student Departure
Attrition of First Year Students
Student Retention
Understanding Student Departure: Identifying Primary Factors Attributable to Attrition Among First-Year Students: A Consultative Retention Analysis Study for Kentucky Wesleyan College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53122020-04-22T08:21:55Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Domine, April
author
Roche, Erin
author
Roen, Paul
author
2013-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5312
Capstone
Professional
JCPS
Community
Professional Learning Communities
Professional Learning Communities in JCPS
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/52002013-05-10T00:14:51Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Clark, Teresa Bagamery
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5200
Capstone
College
Block
Analysis of the Strategic Initiatives for the Block at Tusculum College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53052020-04-22T08:21:41Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Coverstone, Alan
author
Van Heukelum, Jason
author
2013-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5305
Capstone
Community
Community-Based Collaborative
Collaborative
Neighborhood Place
Neighborhood Place: Unpacking the Role and Reach of a Community-Based Service Collaborative
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177262023-08-10T23:11:14Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Clodfelter, Jared
author
Tapp, Wade
author
2022
Given the rapid change across the globe – technological, political, environmental, economic, etc. – many independent schools, which rely almost exclusively on tuition and private donations for revenue, are in challenging long-term financial positions. While sustainability is a challenge for most nonprofits (Bowman, 2011), the rate of tuition increases and a diminishing pool of reliable donors are particularly alarming for private educational institutions (Soghoian, 2012; NAIS, 2020). Most recently, this uncertainty has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with political unrest, climate change, and economic recessions all threatening stability as well. The field of futures thinking (FT), which is a process of exploratory thinking that employs an innovative mindset by using a range of techniques (DPMC, 2021), may prove revelatory for heads of school and school boards as they consider directions for the organizations they serve.
Research on FT in K-12 independent schools is fairly sparse, as is the intersection of FT and educational leadership. Even so, valuable FT ideas can be extracted from scholarly literature across various industries, such as environmental science – where concerns like climate change are pressing (Coulter, Serrao-Neumann, & Coiacetto, 2019), transportation (Banister & Hickman, 2013), nursing (Freed & McLaughlin, 2011), and even real estate (Toivonen, 2021). Furthermore, while FT research has not penetrated the sphere of education deeply (Gidley & Hampson, The Evolution of Futures in School Education, 2005), a sufficient foundation warrants further exploration toward the goal of creating more sustainable independent schools.
Our project takes a mixed-methods approach through the use of qualitative and quantitative data for the purpose of better understanding when, how, and to what end independent school leaders adopt FT mindsets and methodologies. A closed-ended survey was sent to 900 heads of school and board chairs, representing more than 1,800 schools in total. More than 500 leaders responded. Using this data, nine heads of school who self-reported the use of FT practices at their school were identified and interviewed. An additional interview was conducted with John Gulla, executive director of the Edward E. Ford Foundation and former independent school head. From this information we provide NAIS and its member schools key recommendations as they continue forward into a deeper understanding of FT for the purpose of preparing their organizations.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17726
Independent Schools; Leadership; futures thinking
Vision for Tomorrow: Futures Thinking Among Independent School Leaders
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/95002020-04-22T10:24:41Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Gentile, Steven
author
Hutchison, David
author
Sereno, Kasandrea
author
2019-05
In this study, we utilize a logic model adapted from Tinto’s (1975) Interactionalist Theory and the Theory of Student Departure in Commuter Colleges and Universities by Braxton et al. (2004) to measure determinants of Nashville State student departure. We employ a mixed-methods approach to identify when students depart and who leaves Nashville State, as well as who returns and when after initial departure. We interview staff and students to measure their perception of the institution’s commitment to the student welfare as well as their perceptions of the institution’s integrity, or the extent to which Nashville State fulfills its promises to students. Examining staff and administrative processes, the first year experience, and academic advising, we specifically look to understand what practices, support systems and experiences—inside and outside of the classroom— assist or impede student persistence.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9500
Community College
Student success
Nashville State Community College
NSCC
Fulfilling the Promise: Nashville State Community College‘s Commitment to Student Success
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177232022-09-19T19:59:12Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Kimberly, Kevin
author
McIlroy, Sarah
author
Parker, Nathan
author
2021-05
School districts throughout the United States invest in summer programming meant to effectively leverage students’ typical out-of-school time for continued growth. In this study, we conduct an evaluation of middle school summer remediation programming within a large school district in the Southeastern United States. Designed to aid the district’s leaders in assessing current operations and planning for improvement-oriented next steps, the study employs a mixed-methods approach. We first qualitatively examine the purposes, practices, and products of summer programming across the district’s eight middle schools, and subsequently conduct a preliminary impact evaluation using existing internal student assessment data in reading and math. District leaders expected variation in approaches and implementation across schools, but such variation did not emerge as the primary point of interest; instead, this evaluation illuminates an overarching and persistent lack of clarity of program purpose, some opportunities to better align with research best practices, and gaps between the program’s academically-oriented intentions and more evident social-emotional outcomes.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17723
summer learning
remediation
summer slide
program evaluation
implementation
social-emotional learning
Clarity, Capacity, Community, and Continuous Improvement: An evaluationof summer programming
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/52902020-04-22T08:22:09Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Lewis, Karen
author
Miller, Denise
author
2013-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5290
Capstone
Student Affairs
Re-enrollment
Student
Enroll
The Influence of Student Affairs on First-year Students' Intent to Re-enroll at the University of Memphis
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94992020-04-22T10:24:29Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Davis, Anna
author
Gheesling, Corey
author
Webster-Giddings, Allison
author
2019-05
Collectively, Tennessee, institutions, and students, both veteran and their dependents, strive toward the successful completion of post-secondary education for the public good of the state and the private good of the student. To that end, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and Tennessee Postsecondary Education Analysis and Research Lab (TN-PEARL) commissioned this capstone project with Vanderbilt University doctoral students to analyze the interplay of existing state policies, institutional programs, and students experience thereof in pursuit of a post-secondary degree.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9499
Veteran
Veteran Education
State Policy
Policy
Postsecondary Evaluation
PEARL
TN PEARL
Veterans Education at Tennessee Universities: An Analysis of State Policy and University Actions
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/94972020-04-22T10:35:17Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Culbreath, Camil
author
Hart, Shants N.
author
2019
Since the historic 2001 passage and subsequent implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, schools and districts across the nation have been held accountable in one way or another for student achievement. These test-based accountability tools have shed light on which public schools within any given area are in the bottom percentile of all schools statewide.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/9497
JCPS
Teacher Retention
Retention
Priority
Priority School
Examining Teacher Retention in JCPS: An Examination of Teacher Retention in JCPS Priority Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/159922020-09-18T22:14:27Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Cleveland, Ashton
author
2020-05
This exploration into the extant literature surrounding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) was conducted with the underlying goals of discovering the activities, practices, and polices that Lane College can implement to increase student retention and persistence. Lane College is a private HBCU located in Jackson, Tennessee and therefore does not receive state funding in the same manner as neighboring HBCU, Tennessee State University (TSU).1 Lane College must not only rely on student persistence, but also fiscal creativity to generate the type of funding streams necessary to compete in the post-secondary market. The expressed desire of Lane officials to increase persistence in STEM majors is a well-designed strategic goal that aligns with the needs of minoritized communities nation-wide. Many Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), including HBCUs, are especially vulnerable during market fluctuations, which is important to note amidst the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic. Accordingly, this work analyzes the extant literature devoted to social integration at HBCUs, and recommends strategies for successful STEM implementation. Through the examination the work of prominent scholars such as: John Braxton, Shaun Harper and Marybeth Gasman, this work explores social integration as a prerequisite for persistence and retention, at MSIs.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15992
capstone
lane college
literature
black male
black male student
student retention
retention
recruitment
student recruitment
HBCU
private HBCU
For Lane College: A Review of Literature on Black Male Retention and Recruitment Techniques for Private HBCUS
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/42882020-04-22T08:02:50Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Altman, Parker
author
Fleming, Paul B.
author
Heyburn, Sara L.
author
2010-05
James Popham, a leading figure in educational test development and criterion-referenced measurements sums up the power of formative assessment in this way:
"The goal of formative assessment is to supply assessment-elicited evidence by which teachers or students try to enhance learning…Formative assessment helps students learn. It helps teachers be more instructionally effective and principals transform their schools into places where students are educated more successfully. In short, formative assessment can pay off for all those who are touched by it."
(2008, p.18, 20) In an effort to promote formative assessment in Jefferson County Public Schools, during the spring of 2009 the district launched an initiative focused on the understanding and use of formative assessment. For this initiative, district leaders selected a program developed by Rick Stiggins and the Educational Testing Service called Assessment for Learning© (AfL).
The pilot phase of the AfL initiative began with nine self-selected schools – five elementary schools, one middle school, two high schools, and the district‘s on-line ―virtual" school. In September of 2009 a team of three to five teachers and one administrator from each of the nine pilot schools attended two days of training on the AfL program conducted by Rick Stiggins and his associates. In conjunction with the pilot phase of the AfL initiative, JCPS partnered with our capstone project team to study various aspects of the pilot schools‘ experiences with the AfL program. As such, our project design is guided by four questions: What is the school culture concerning collaboration, specifically as it relates to formative assessment? How have pilot schools responded to the Assessment for Learning program at the school and classroom levels? What influence has the Assessment for Learning training had on instructional practices and attitudes at the pilot schools? What institutional and individual obstacles do teachers face in adopting Assessment for Learning? through multiple data collection efforts, including teacher/administrator surveys, interviews with pilot school principals and AfL- trained teachers, observations at pilot schools and participation in district-wide professional development sessions related to the AfL initiative. Analyses of these data revealed the following key findings:
Early Stages of AfL Adoption
A number of practices and strategies associated with AfL adoption are evident in our findings. These, include the following: Principal commitment to the initiative. Regular collaboration around AfL among teachers and principals. Increased instructional intentionality and more purposeful planning have become more common among AfL-trained teachers. Students and AfL-trained teachers are developing partnerships around instruction and assessment. Student engagement and motivation has increased in AfL-trained teachers‘ classrooms.
Challenges to AfL Adoption: AfL is a complex program and takes time and ongoing support to implement successfully and to earn teacher buy-in. Time is a barrier to program adoption as it is difficult to find time during the school day for AfL collaboration, reflection, and training of other school staff. Some teachers and principals are concerned that district support for AfL will be short-lived. Some teachers and principals perceive a tension between expectations regarding curriculum coverage, district assessments, and the goals of AfL.
Based upon these findings, we have developed several recommendations, which we believe will prove useful for future stages of the AfL initiative in JCPS. Specifically, our recommendations include the following:
AfL Training. Hold AfL training sessions in the summer to allow for more focused program study and advance lesson planning that incorporates AfL strategies. Design AfL training sessions to be subject- and grade-level specific. In future training sessions, make use of AfL-trained teachers from the first AfL pilot cohort.
Administrative and District Support: Ensure that school level administrators provide regular time for embedded AfL-related professional development. Encourage intentional, incremental program adoption across the district and within individual schools to increase teacher buy-in and provide time to master each AfL component. Carefully communicate how the AfL initiative aligns with district and state standards and goals to prevent a perception among teachers and principals that these are competing expectations. Maintain sufficient financial support for the AfL initiative. Foster a feedback loop among stakeholders through ongoing communication and evaluation of the AfL initiative, including measurement against characteristics of high quality professional development.
The findings of this report, while limited by the capstone project‘s scope and structure, contribute to the emerging body of literature on AfL specifically, and formative assessment, professional development, and district support/role more generally.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/4288
Formative assessment
EdD Capstone
Mixed Methods
AFL
Understanding and Using Formative Assessments: A Mixed Methods Study of "Assessment for Learning" Adoption
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/71052020-04-22T06:32:47Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Ashby, Joseph
author
Frank, Richard
author
McClain, Andrea
author
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/7105
TESS
Arkansas
Early implementation
Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS)
Early Implementation Study of the Arkansas Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS): Research, Analysis, and Recommendations
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/55382020-04-22T08:21:38Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Clark, Landon
author
Lucas, Conrad
author
Stewart, Beth
author
2010-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5538
Capstone
Learning
Integrative Learning at Eastern Illinois University
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/155842020-09-01T21:05:11Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Jensen, Lena
author
Ng, Annie
author
2020-05
This study was a one-year investigation into the implementation of two pilot literacy curricula in
Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Surveys, interviews, and student performance
data were analyzed to evaluate the process of curricular implementation and current literacy
practices in elementary schools across the district. This study was conducted by two doctoral
students to fulfill the requirements of the doctorate of education degree from the Peabody College
of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/15584
literacy
capstone
hamilton county
restructure
restructuring
Restructuring Elementary Literacy Instruction in Hamilton County Schools
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/53112020-04-22T08:21:37Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Bell, Nathan
author
Irvin, Melissa
author
Sweeney, Anthea
author
2013-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5311
Capstone
Student
Milestone
Success
Tracking
Community College
Living the Mission: Knowing Your Students and Tracking Milestones Toward Student Success at Nashville State Community College
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/52892013-05-21T21:09:46Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Charles, Robiaun
author
Choi, YuKang
author
2013-04
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/5289
Capstone
CBL
Community-Based Learning
Toward an Approach to Identify Effective Practices for Faculty Teaching Community-Based Learning (CBL) Courses: A Study Project for Rhodes College and Members of the Teagle-funded Consortium
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/177242022-09-19T19:59:19Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Dunn, Janessa
author
Forinash, Jessica
author
2022
Established by the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX is an important statute of legislation
that was enacted to protect individuals when discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex was
prevalent in American society. Title IX states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of
sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (Department of Education,
2021; Education Amendments Act of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq). Its broad implications imply that
all individuals involved in a U.S. college or university should be aware of its purpose, their personal
rights established by the statute, and the role they play in making sure the institution is compliant.
Although simple in its phrasing, upholding policies in alignment with Title IX is a hefty task. Title IX
has affected higher education institutions in many ways since its inception, and it is imperative to
highlight key historical movements to understand its impact.
Followed by a historical background of Title IX amendments, an exploratory study will be
described to understand the implications of Title IX amendments for Tennessee Independent Colleges
and Universities Association (TICUA) members—particularly for Title IX coordinators. Descriptive
findings will be analyzed through the lens of four dimensions: the institution’s size, religious affiliation,
minority-serving status, and setting. We define size within three realms: less than 2,000 undergraduate
students, 2000<4,000 undergraduate students, and >4,000 undergraduate students (Dunn & Forinash,
2021). We also delineate an institution’s minority-serving status in alignment with the Office of
Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights’ definition for minority-serving institutions (e.g., Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and
Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions) (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2022).
Furthermore, we define setting using the College Board’s Big Future definitions of rural, suburban, and
urban settings (College Board, 2022). Finally, we define religiously affiliated institutions as institutions
who are affiliated with a known denomination as observed in the College Board’s BigFuture college
search tool (College Board, 2022).
We will conclude our descriptive findings with key takeaways and recommendations that can be
adopted by TICUA member institutions as well as the TICUA staff to support Title IX coordinators in
their important work
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/17724
Title IX; higher education leadership; Tennessee Independent Colleges
Understanding and Implementing Title IX Regulations
oai:ir.vanderbilt.edu:1803/83292020-04-24T06:08:42Zcom_1803_257com_1803_5548col_1803_291
00925njm 22002777a 4500
dc
Cormack, Michael, Jr.
author
Vest, Jennifer M
author
Wong, Nancy
author
2016-05
http://hdl.handle.net/1803/8329
Appalachia
Elgin
Elgin Children's Foundation
literacy
early literacy
Breaking the Cycle: A Study of the Elgin Children's Foundation Effort to Promote Early Literacy in Appalachia
marc///col_1803_291/100