A narrative study was used to examine the lived experiences of novice teachers and their knowledge base of culturally responsive pedagogy and its implementation in the classroom. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of 12 participants who completed a teacher preparation program. Through coding analysis, data was analyzed around…

The U.S. public educational system is antiquated yet designed for the achievement results we see today. All students deserve educators willing to look within, ask difficult questions, have courageous conversations, be vulnerable, and address why schools are continually underperforming. There are researchers and educators determined to do just that…

The United States has undergone a revamping of education standards in an effort to systematize rigorous learning standards across the country and prepare students to be college- and career-ready. In addition, new accountability requirements have been put in place to determine the effectiveness of the school leader. Certainly, educational reforms…

This study was conducted to ascertain what leadership actions best position a principal to facilitate his school's exit from Program Improvement (PI) designation. Existing research suggests that the pressures for change in a high-stakes accountability setting, such as that of PI, are not only more difficult to implement, but also require a…

The guiding question for this qualitative study centered on what it means to be a principal in a high school that has been put on notice as a failure and labeled "Program Improvement" (PI). The evidence shed light on the unique challenges, role expectations, and varying social conditions faced by two female principals as they managed…

The purpose of this statewide study is to assess the perceived improvements made to programs that are offered at Career and Technical Education Centers from the perspective of vocational administrators and teachers following the Bureau of Career and Technical Education conduction of an Approved Program Evaluation. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Career…

The accountability movement in education and the development of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model encourages school counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of their school counseling program based on student achievement. This study surveyed Wisconsin elementary school counselors to determine their use of…

This research study investigated the leadership behaviors and organizational frames utilized by two veteran superintendents of medium sized school districts in California to address issues of academic performance in their respective districts as perceived by the superintendents and their respective board members and principals. Current…

The deluge of early child development research over the past 20 years has sparked an unprecedented public interest in the first years of children's lives. Research indicates that quality early education promotes the overall development of a healthy child. The Desired Results System, a standards-based accountability initiative of the California…

Adult Basic Education (ABE) prison and community based literacy programs, are under close scrutiny to report accurate data to the National Reporting System (NRS). Delaware community based ABE programs are administered by the states' vocational school districts in New Castle, Kent and Sussex County. The NRS is the federal accountability program for…

This dissertation investigates the prevailing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate as an effective platform to improve schools. The data compiled for use in this study represented 426 high schools in Pennsylvania and were retrieved from publicly accessible, state-sponsored sources. The statistical methodologies from the Pennsylvania Value-Added…

Due to the increasing accountability associated with the No Child Left Behind legislation and the new board governance policy of the fifth cycle of the Missouri School Improvement Program, the issue of school board accountability has emerged as an important topic. At this point, the issue of school reform has reached the school board level. In…

This case study presents data to support the notion that turnaround school policy can improve the efficiency of how traditionally low-performing schools function. The schools that were successful in implementing the UVA Turnaround Program training developed a clear understanding of the expectations for participating in the UVA Turnaround Program…

This dissertation is comprised of three essays exploring the performance of students on standardized tests in public schools. Since the passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB) in 2002, public schools have been subject to penalties for poor student achievement. In particular, NCLB requires states to measure reading and math test…

The 2007-2008 school year marked the first year Florida's Title I schools that did not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for five consecutive years entered into restructuring as mandated by the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001. My study examines the perceptions of teacher entering into their first year of school restructuring due to…