This dissertation examines the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms and feature engineering techniques for analyzing process data and predicting test performance. The study compares three classification approaches and identifies item-specific process features that are highly predictive of student performance. The findings suggest that…

School districts have recognized the undeniable power of using data to enhance performance. As a result, teachers are now required to use data to prepare for critical state assessments and to improve district levels. These assessments are crucial in determining the school's rating by the state and can even result in a state takeover if scores are…

The focus of this study was derived from staggering attrition rates that it calls centers year over year. At times call centers post-COVID-19 pandemic saw attrition rates fluctuating between 30%-50%. With any job there are challenges that are faced. These attrition rates stand 28%-40% higher than the United States 2023 national attrition rates of…

Performance-based funding policies for postsecondary institutions have been enacted throughout the United States as an answer to reductions in public funding and increased accountability mandates. Institutional effectiveness, as demonstrated through metrics such as graduation and retention rates, dictates the level of funding received. Educational…

Higher education institutions across the country have examined equity in education outcomes through disaggregating student demographic data. However, it is not as common for academic institutions to also examine student learning outcomes for inequities in student learning. The current study explores what the greatest contributors are for the lack…

This dissertation study explores how teachers perceive and use data to inform their instructional practices and ultimately impact student achievement. The research focuses on whether or not data availability impacted how often teachers used data for instructional purposes and if leadership and coaching practices impacted teachers' perception of…

Background: As the state standards increase, along with the instructional rigor within developed curriculum and state accountability, the need to improve ineffective teachers and their practices in the classroom has become a national priority. The need for relevant professional development that meets both the instructional needs of the teacher and…

Disaster recovery planning is a crucial component to maintaining a business's economic stability. However, it is unclear how key performance indicators (KPIs) are perceived in the emergency medical service (EMS) industry during the disaster recover planning process. The problem addressed in this study was to understand KPIs and their components.…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological was to describe teacher efficacy in the lived experiences of secondary teachers actively engaged in the instructional coaching process. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Albert Bandura's (1992) social cognitive theory as it expounds upon the role efficacy plays in human agency as it…

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to examine teachers' perceptions that an instructional technology coach as having an influence on improving their teaching practice, improving their integration of technology and 21st century skills, and improving student learning. Additionally, the study also examined whether perceptions…

As district- and school-level leaders face increasing pressure from federal, state, and local accountability mandates there has been increased dependence on using and analyzing student data to help improve student performance. While the reporting of disaggregated data by student subgroup confirms that achievement gaps exist, it does not provide…

Performance measurement has emerged as a management tool that, accompanied by advances in technology and data analysis, has allowed public officials to control public policy at multiple levels of government. In the United States, the federal government has used performance measurement as part of an accountability strategy that enables Congress and…

This study examined the effects of the recently implemented North Carolina Educator Evaluator System (NCEES) on teaching practices and teacher leadership in a mostly rural county in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. NCEES is designed to improve teaching practices and teacher leadership through performance-based standards. This…

The use of mathematics performance tasks can provide a window into how a student is applying mathematics to various situations, how they are reasoning mathematically and how they are applying conceptual knowledge through problem solving and critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate, according to the elementary mathematics…

There have been limited qualitative case studies exploring effective strategies designed to improve graduation rates in rural school districts. Specifically, few studies have presented information based solely upon the voices of practitioners themselves in solving the graduation crisis in America's public schools. This study will add to the…