View All Items

Title: A new look at distributive leadership in title I and non-title I schools: does distributive leadership impact student achievement and school culture?.
Creator: Givens, Keietta Latraill, Mountford, Meredith L., College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a difference in how leadership is distributed in Title I and Non-Title I schools and to examine the relationship between distributive leadership and student achievement in Title I and Non- Title I schools. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship between distributive leadership and school culture in Title I and Non-Title I schools. Finally, this study determined if the relationship between distributed leadership,...
Show moreThe purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a difference in how leadership is distributed in Title I and Non-Title I schools and to examine the relationship between distributive leadership and student achievement in Title I and Non- Title I schools. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship between distributive leadership and school culture in Title I and Non-Title I schools. Finally, this study determined if the relationship between distributed leadership, school culture, and student achievement is moderated by Title I status. This study was significant in the realm of education as it explored distributive leadership, its working definition, and possible relationship to increased student achievement and positive school culture. A quantitative method, including three statistical analyses, was implemented to answer each of the five proposed research questions and five corresponding null hypotheses. A bivariate correlation analysis revealed there was not a relationship between distributive leadership and school culture; distributive leadership and student achievement in a middle school setting. Further, a moderation analysis determined that distributive leadership and school culture, distributive leadership and student achievement were not moderated by Title I status. Additionally, a t-test showed there was not a difference in how leadership was distributed within Title I and Non-Title I schools. A discussion of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations for K-12 were explained in detail, followed by suggestions for future research.
Show less
Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004022
Subject Headings: Academic achievement, Distributive leadership, Educational accountability, Educational leadership, School management and organization
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Florida's School Choice Policies and Democracy: Origins and Destinations.
Creator: Miller, Adam, Mountford, Meredith L., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: School choice is a fast growing alternative to traditional public school education across the nation. According to the Florida Department of Education, school choice policies and laws are rapidly moving Florida away from more traditional forms of schooling toward an increasingly evolving school choice state landscape. The purpose of this study was to examine school choice in Florida by investigating the school choice policies enacted by the Florida legislature leading to the school choice...
Show moreSchool choice is a fast growing alternative to traditional public school education across the nation. According to the Florida Department of Education, school choice policies and laws are rapidly moving Florida away from more traditional forms of schooling toward an increasingly evolving school choice state landscape. The purpose of this study was to examine school choice in Florida by investigating the school choice policies enacted by the Florida legislature leading to the school choice environment in Florida today. Specifically, this investigation was limited to legislation in Florida between 1997 and 2014 and further limited to charter schools, home schooling, virtual education, and two choice options specific to Florida in which public dollars follow students to private schools, the Tax Credit and McKay Scholarship programs. These particular school choice options were chosen as the focus of this study because they change the where of education outside of tradit ional public schools. Other choice options such as magnet schools, inter-district choice, and intra-district choice simply move students among traditional public schools but keep them enrolled in traditional public schools. Ultimately the study hoped to provide a possible road map for the future of school choice policies in Florida. This study utilized a qualitative methodology utilizing document reviews and interviews. This study found that school choice policies in Florida have continued to expand and evolve over the years to increase the liberty available to families to choose the education of their children. This study also found that the Florida legislature has laid the groundwork for Florida school districts, through a focus on equality, to take advantage of a portfolio management model to increase student achievement. Although a focus on equality led to the enactment of various school choice options, some of these options have moved away from their original intent to financially benefit specific organizations and groups. Finally, as reported by Holme, Frankenberg, Diem, and Welton (2013), Florida's charter school, virtual education, and home education policies have been enacted as race-neutral policies that have no regard for diversity, which could lead to resegregation.
Show less
Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004522, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004522
Subject Headings: Education and state -- Florida, Educational change -- United States -- Florida, Educational equalization -- United States -- Florida, John M. McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, School choice -- United States -- Florida, School districts -- Florida -- Management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The University Journey of STEM Transfer Students.
Creator: Rich, Nancy, Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the feelings and experiences of state college transfer STEM students regarding transfer from the state college to the university. The 25 participants in this study were asked to describe their feelings about the transfer process. Data were gathered from the interviews and from a review of short journals and documents. It was hoped that the experiences of successful transfer students would help illustrate the feelings present when these...
Show moreThe purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the feelings and experiences of state college transfer STEM students regarding transfer from the state college to the university. The 25 participants in this study were asked to describe their feelings about the transfer process. Data were gathered from the interviews and from a review of short journals and documents. It was hoped that the experiences of successful transfer students would help illustrate the feelings present when these STEM transfer students enter the university as juniors and compete with native juniors or juniors who began their collegiate experiences as freshmen at the university. Each participant had varied experiences and feelings from the experience. There was no one process that each student traveled through. Findings included: financial influences on decision-making, inconsistencies in advising causing anxieties, hands on learning impacts persistence, negative connotations for transfer students, class size impacts difficulty, the importance of university transfer orientation, and areas in need of improvement. During participant interviews, the issue of finance and budgeting was the most prevalent topic. Participants found that their state college advisors did not always understand their intended career paths causing confusion and anxiety. They valued hands on experiences provided by state college professors who encouraged them to continue their education. The increased class size at the university was disconcerting to many study participants. At the state college professors had open-door policies for students with questions or in need of extra assistance with course materials. Participants felt that the classification of transfer student had some negative connotations at the university. Students were reluctant to be singled out as state college transfer students. In addition, transfer orientation was viewed by older participants as demeaning. Participants were asked about changes they would make in the transfer process. The link programs seemed to be under promoted. A database for immigration information was suggested. Participants also suggested changes to transfer student orientation. This study was limited to 25 successful transfer students. The results should not be generalized to a larger population, but instead provide ideas for future policy discussions and research.
Show less
Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013110
Subject Headings: Transfer students, STEM, Qualitative research
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: WHAT’S SCHOOL GOT TO DO WITH IT?PERCEPTIONS OF THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUTH WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERRUPTIONS TO THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
Creator: Judd, Leslie, Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: In today’s educational climate highly focused on accountability, often measured through high stakes testing and graduation rates, it is critical that school leaders return to a focus on the initial aim of public education and ensure all students are afforded a quality education until graduation. Unfortunately, over 25,000 school-aged children in Florida are arrested for a felony offense annually, which is just one of many paths leading to an interruption in their learning and often entrance...
Show moreIn today’s educational climate highly focused on accountability, often measured through high stakes testing and graduation rates, it is critical that school leaders return to a focus on the initial aim of public education and ensure all students are afforded a quality education until graduation. Unfortunately, over 25,000 school-aged children in Florida are arrested for a felony offense annually, which is just one of many paths leading to an interruption in their learning and often entrance to the school-to-prison pipeline. Additionally, these students are often not allowed to return or have their return to traditional school settings postponed by being placed at alternative school settings. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to describe the K-12 educational experience as perceived by males ages 15-21 who had an interruption in their education while attending a public school in Florida. The perceptions of the K-12 educational experiences were generally defined as what each participant reported as his personal experience while attending a K-12 public educational setting.
Show less
Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013611
Subject Headings: Educational administration, Educational leadership, Educational policy
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS OF GUATEMALAN PUBLIC PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL LEADERS: A CASE STUDY IN AN AREA NORTH OF GUATEMALA CITY.
Creator: Bartram, Lydia, Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: Despite many decades of simultaneous research on early childhood development and leadership, numerous gaps remain in the current literature regarding the characteristics of school leaders of early childhood programs in low and middle income (LAMI) countries. Past studies of school leaders in LAMI countries have only focused on primary and secondary education. A multitude of factors impact public pre-primary education in LAMI countries, such as Guatemala, which make the study of school...
Show moreDespite many decades of simultaneous research on early childhood development and leadership, numerous gaps remain in the current literature regarding the characteristics of school leaders of early childhood programs in low and middle income (LAMI) countries. Past studies of school leaders in LAMI countries have only focused on primary and secondary education. A multitude of factors impact public pre-primary education in LAMI countries, such as Guatemala, which make the study of school leadership in pre-primary education critical for understanding what is needed to provide high-quality learning environments. The identification of leadership characteristics helps to inform the field of early childhood education and establish critical directions for school leadership practice. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of successful school leaders of public, pre-primary programs in an area north of Guatemala City, Guatemala. The characteristics were defined as those leadership behaviors and factors that contribute to the success of leaders of public, pre-primary schools in Guatemala. Leadership behaviors were defined as those actions a leader exhibits that support the operation of a public, pre-primary school. Leadership factors were defined as the influences that support or hinder the ability of a leader to achieve and maintain the operation of a public, preprimary school. Developmental factors were defined as environmental influences that impacted on their decision to become a leader of a public, pre-primary school.
Show less
Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013608
Subject Headings: Educational leadership, Early childhood education, Guatemala (Guatemala), Educational leadership--Case studies
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Managed Discourse: Legitimizing Principal Identity and Agency.
Creator: Arellano, Matias, Mountford, Meredith L., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: Given the demands of the era of accountability and standardization, the purpose of this study was to explore how educational leaders construct their identity and agency. The study utilized overlapping post-structural and critical theoretical frameworks on identity and agency to analyze how high school principals interpret and enact comprehensive school reform rhetoric and their state’s educational leadership standards. In addition to several cycles of coding, a critical discourse analysis was...
Show moreGiven the demands of the era of accountability and standardization, the purpose of this study was to explore how educational leaders construct their identity and agency. The study utilized overlapping post-structural and critical theoretical frameworks on identity and agency to analyze how high school principals interpret and enact comprehensive school reform rhetoric and their state’s educational leadership standards. In addition to several cycles of coding, a critical discourse analysis was performed with the input of the participants’ high schools in order to further analyze the form and function of discourses, socially situated meanings, and ideologies that constitute being an educational leader and doing the work of an educational leader. The findings from the study revealed that the high school principals discursively construct their professional identity and agency by engaging in discourses and social practices related to managing the personnel, numerical data, and external expectations of the organization. As a result, the participants use the comprehensive school reform rhetoric as a way to legitimize and rationalize their duty as educators. The socially situated meaning attributed to the state’s educational leadership standards is not as clear, with the participants dismissing their value for a lack of context. In interpreting and enacting the school reform policy mandates set forth by the district and the state, principals conserve a corporatized model of school leadership that borrows much of its neoliberal language from the business sphere. The principals are positioned as mid-level managers, confirming Foster’s (2004) description of the contemporary school leader who is preoccupied with controlling the numeracy, information systems, and language of the organization. Future research should focus on performing critical discourse analysis studies with the upper levels of management, including, but not limited to, the central office and the office of the superintendent, as a way of exploring a more transcendent meaning of schooling and school leadership that focuses on human development. This study has the potential to provide leadership preparation programs and policymakers significant insight into the problems, paradoxes, and possibilities of school reform rhetoric and its impact on local school leaders.
Show less
Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004657, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004657
Subject Headings: Critical pedagogy, Discourse analysis, Education -- Research -- Methodology, Educational leadership, High school principals, Identity (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE INTERSECTION OF QUEERLY LEADING: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF K-12 QUEER SCHOOL LEADERS.
Creator: Evans, Corinth M., Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: This phenomenological research study examined the perceived experiences of K-12 queer school leaders in school workplaces. This study discussed events, state laws, workplace polices, and related repeated studies that demonstrate that K-12 queer school leaders experience challenges in school spaces because of their sexual and/or gender identities. The sample population for this study consisted of 10 participants. The data collection consisted of a recruitment survey, individual interviews, and...
Show moreThis phenomenological research study examined the perceived experiences of K-12 queer school leaders in school workplaces. This study discussed events, state laws, workplace polices, and related repeated studies that demonstrate that K-12 queer school leaders experience challenges in school spaces because of their sexual and/or gender identities. The sample population for this study consisted of 10 participants. The data collection consisted of a recruitment survey, individual interviews, and document review of state laws and policies. The analysis of data included survey data, transcribed interviews, and document reviews. The data were coded and triangulated for reliability and the analysis was guided by queer theory, script theory, and Foucault’s work on perspectives on power-knowledge. There were three key findings that emerged: queer school leaders’ suitability, queer negotiations in school spaces, and institutionalized homophobia and gender-based prejudices in the school spaces. The results contemporaneously indicate that policy, procedures, practices, and hegemonic power constitute the producers and pushers of an institutionalize cis/hetero-patriarchy narrative.
Show less
Date Issued: 2020
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013587
Subject Headings: Phenomenology--Research, Educational leadership, Queer theory
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE POWER OF PEOPLE: HOW GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS INSPIRE CHANGE IN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
Creator: Vance Noelk Debra S., Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This research study examined how the United Opt Out grassroots movement grew from a small listserv in 2011 into a national formidable organization, now referred to as the Opt Out movement, which rallied against the use of high stakes tests as the primary determinant of student achievement as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002). While educators and parents did not oppose testing, they rejected the focus on a singular assessment created at the state level and the...
Show moreThis research study examined how the United Opt Out grassroots movement grew from a small listserv in 2011 into a national formidable organization, now referred to as the Opt Out movement, which rallied against the use of high stakes tests as the primary determinant of student achievement as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002). While educators and parents did not oppose testing, they rejected the focus on a singular assessment created at the state level and the blatant disregard of other school-based assessments. It was soon evident that educators and parents had minimal input, while private corporate foundations and think tanks exerted a tremendous amount of influence on education policy. To counteract the corporate reform movement and to gain voice in education policy, grassroots movements, started and led by educators, began to organize. The Opt Out movement was one such movement that called on students to engage in civil disobedience by opting out of high stakes tests.
Show less
Date Issued: 2019
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013347
Subject Headings: United Opt Out (Organization), Social movements, Schools, Change
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Teacher Perspectives on The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model during year one of Implementation.
Creator: Wilkins, Bryan L., Mountford, Meredith L., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This qualitative study described teachers’ perspectives of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model during the first year of its implementation. Further, this study examined the relationship between teachers and their administrators during implementation. The researcher’s goal was to examine how teachers changed their behavior as the result of the first year following the implementation of The Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model.
Date Issued: 2017
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004810, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004810
Subject Headings: Marzano, Robert J.--Art and sciene of teaching--Criticism and interpretation., Effective teaching., Teachers--Rating of., Teacher effectiveness., Teaching--Aids and devices., Learning, Psychology of., Educational evaluation.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE PERSPECTIVES OF HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS AND BUSINESS EXECUTIVES ON THE FUNDING GAP BETWEEN LIBERAL ARTS AND STEM EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY.
Creator: Taal, Badara Alioune F., Warshaw, Jarrett B., Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: This qualitative case study investigated the perspectives of higher education leaders and business executive on the funding gap between liberal arts programs and STEM education in a public research level 2 institution in Florida. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and explain participants’ perspectives and finding ways to narrow the funding gap. Historically, Congress has been open in its allocation of funds to higher education research and, recently, allotted 97% to...
Show moreThis qualitative case study investigated the perspectives of higher education leaders and business executive on the funding gap between liberal arts programs and STEM education in a public research level 2 institution in Florida. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and explain participants’ perspectives and finding ways to narrow the funding gap. Historically, Congress has been open in its allocation of funds to higher education research and, recently, allotted 97% to STEM and Science related disciplines and 3% to non-science fields. At the state level, funding to these two programmatic areas showed a comparable pattern to that of the U.S. Congress with 93% of funds allocated to Engineering and Science, and 7% to non-science disciplines and fields. There were four central research questions to help understand participants’ perspectives of the values of these fields. This study included seven participants who met the following criteria: deans, associate deans, provosts, with at least 10 years of work experience in the position; dean, associate deans, or provosts who retired within the last five years; and a business executive, director or a Chief Operation Officer, with working relations to the university and with similar work experiences. Data were collected primarily from semi-structured interviews, which lasted for 45 minutes per session. Additionally, documents were collected from interview sites. Data were codded and analyzed in two cycles.
Show less
Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013697
Subject Headings: Educational leadership
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY OF STEM EDUCATION IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME (OST): A TALE OF TWO CITIES’ INITIATIVES.
Creator: Pappas, Dustin, Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: Citywide initiatives to promote educational opportunities are levers for social change (Appio et al., 2019) that also risk reproducing social inequalities (Godec et al., 2021). Out-of-school time networks have developed in many cities to promote access to youth programs and activities that foster development, bolster academic outcomes, and open career pathways (Allen et al., 2017). Networks have long been shown to play a role in the adoption of innovations (Ryan & Gross, 1943). Community...
Show moreCitywide initiatives to promote educational opportunities are levers for social change (Appio et al., 2019) that also risk reproducing social inequalities (Godec et al., 2021). Out-of-school time networks have developed in many cities to promote access to youth programs and activities that foster development, bolster academic outcomes, and open career pathways (Allen et al., 2017). Networks have long been shown to play a role in the adoption of innovations (Ryan & Gross, 1943). Community educational networks or STEM ecosystems specialize in promoting content relating to topics of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). There has been increasing demand for STEM programs which exists alongside a scarcity of resources and expertise (Afterschool Alliance, 2014; Liou & Daly, 2021; Henderson et al., 2011). To overcome these hurdles, networks make strategic efforts to mobilize resources with the “goal of creating institutional and broad infrastructure support for activities and programs that contribute to child and youth development in the out-of-school time hours” (Hall & Harvey, 2002, p. 3). The maintenance of innovations, including educational services, can be a challenge especially in times of social crisis (Pemberton, 1937). There is little known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that influence the sustainability of STEM programs in OST. While there is a growing demand for access (Afterschool Alliance, 2014), there is also a lack of research on the sustainability of STEM educational activities in OST settings. Evaluating disparate organizations each with unique goals and strategies relating to a single citywide initiative presents a challenge for researchers (Baum, 2001). The present research utilizes an implementation science framework to fill a gap in the literature on the factors relating to the sustainability of STEM in OST. This empirical research explores STEM networks in two US cities in 2020. This research describes facilitators and barriers to sustaining STEM education in various contexts (e.g., school-related programs, community-based programs).
Show less
Date Issued: 2021
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013851
Subject Headings: Science and technology education, COVID-19
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLORIDA ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAMS AND MERIT-BASED PAY IN TWO LARGE URBAN BASED SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
Creator: Walkinshaw, Nicole Michelle, Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to ascertain insightful knowledge through the analysis of teacher pay across two similar K-12 public school districts that reflect the current evaluation methodology being utilized within the State of Florida. The two districts were selected because they are among the largest public school districts in the nation (Florida Department of Education [FLDOE], 2021a), have comparable student demographics and utilize contrasting weighted merit pay salary schedule...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to ascertain insightful knowledge through the analysis of teacher pay across two similar K-12 public school districts that reflect the current evaluation methodology being utilized within the State of Florida. The two districts were selected because they are among the largest public school districts in the nation (Florida Department of Education [FLDOE], 2021a), have comparable student demographics and utilize contrasting weighted merit pay salary schedule profiles and algorithms which could provide insights into the relationship between accountability and merit-based pay. The Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) student assessments in (English [R%H] and Mathematics [M%H]) as well as the District School Grades (DSGs) were analyzed. The DSGs were commensurate with an approximation to the Value-Added Model (VAM) and Learning Growth Model (LGM) scores. Since the FLDOE does not release individual K-12 public school teacher VAM and LGM scores, the DSGs were the most appropriate comparative score to utilize when comparing these two districts. These are the primary variables utilized by the Florida K-12 Public School Accountability Programs that directly impact merit pay salary schedule placement. Quantitative methods employed statistical tests and analyses that included Independent Samples t-tests, Intercorrelation Matrices, Independent Correlation Contrasts, and Overlapping Dependent Correlation Contrasts between correlations that were calculated in the two K-12 public school districts. The study found that the input variables (R%H, M%H, and DSGs) had no statistically significant differences of the means between districts tested. Each input variable was commensurate over the 7-year study. Yet, there were statistically significant differences of the percentage mean in the output variables in regard to the percentage of K-12 public school teachers rated Highly Effective and Effective between both districts. The study also determined that the remaining input variable of the teacher classroom observation Instructional Practice (IP) score was significantly related to an educator’s placement on annual merit pay-for-performance salary schedules. Both districts utilized the assessment tool iObservation ®. The results of all of the statistical analyses served to call into question the accuracy, legitimacy, and the efficacy of the methodology utilized to incentivize, compensate, and produce more Highly Effective educators.
Show less
Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013893
Subject Headings: Educational leadership--Florida, Education and state, Merit pay
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE CONSEQUENCES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STATE ACCOUNTABILITY DATA USAGE IN ONE FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Creator: Killeen, Mary K., Mountford, Meredith, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: The accountability era has produced school grading systems that purport to evaluate school effectiveness yet utilize hegemonic formulas that label low-scoring schools and neighborhoods, depriving them of incentive monies tied to their school grades. This quantitative study analyzed the publicly available data of 106 elementary schools in one large urban district in Florida through the lens of Effective Schools Research. Significant findings revealed that the work of Edmonds (1982) and Lezotte...
Show moreThe accountability era has produced school grading systems that purport to evaluate school effectiveness yet utilize hegemonic formulas that label low-scoring schools and neighborhoods, depriving them of incentive monies tied to their school grades. This quantitative study analyzed the publicly available data of 106 elementary schools in one large urban district in Florida through the lens of Effective Schools Research. Significant findings revealed that the work of Edmonds (1982) and Lezotte (1991) supports a growth model when it comes to school-based assessments and outcomes. The schools in the sample earned cumulative incentive rewards over time that were negatively correlated with the schools’ average percentage of economically disadvantaged students. The lower a school’s average percentage of economically disadvantaged students, the higher the school's average grade. This finding held true for the “A”-graded schools with the lowest average economically disadvantaged percentages from 1999 to 2019. This study also found that the schools in the sample with the larger average percentages of economically disadvantaged students would exhibit higher school grades if calculations using only their language arts and math gains were used. These findings have implications for how we might rebuild the assessment of our neighborhood schools and transform the policy structures that contribute to social and educational inequities.
Show less
Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014331
Subject Headings: Educational evaluation, Elementary schools--Evaluation, Education and state--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: THE HANDCUFFS OF POVERTY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN A LARGE URBAN DISTRICT.
Creator: Grasinger, Justin, Meredith Mountford, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: In this study, the researcher uses quantitative methods to examine the extent to which Title I funding helps public schools with large populations of economically-disadvantaged students increase student academic achievement in reading and math in grades 3–5, and whether the leaders of these schools utilize specific social justice actions identified through a review of literature. The researcher gathers grade level student proficiency data for students in grades 3–5 and performs a bivariate...
Show moreIn this study, the researcher uses quantitative methods to examine the extent to which Title I funding helps public schools with large populations of economically-disadvantaged students increase student academic achievement in reading and math in grades 3–5, and whether the leaders of these schools utilize specific social justice actions identified through a review of literature. The researcher gathers grade level student proficiency data for students in grades 3–5 and performs a bivariate correlation and a simple regression analysis to determine the extent to which identified schools receiving Title I funds are able to increase student proficiency rates over a three-year period. The researcher further analyzes the data through a social justice lens to determine possible social justice solutions to the persistent problem of the income-achievement gap.
Show less
Date Issued: 2024
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014411
Subject Headings: Elementary schools, Social justice, Poverty, Educational leadership
Format: Document (PDF)

Educational leadership (7)	+ -
Academic achievement (1)	+ -
COVID-19 (1)	+ -
Change (1)	+ -
Critical pedagogy (1)	+ -

Discourse analysis (1)	+ -
Distributive leadership (1)	+ -
Early childhood education (1)	+ -
Education -- Research -- Methodology (1)	+ -
Education and state (1)	+ -
Education and state -- Florida (1)	+ -
Education and state--Florida (1)	+ -
Educational accountability (1)	+ -
Educational administration (1)	+ -
Educational change -- United States -- Florida (1)	+ -
Educational equalization -- United States -- Florida (1)	+ -
Educational evaluation (1)	+ -
Educational evaluation. (1)	+ -
Educational leadership--Case studies (1)	+ -
Educational leadership--Florida (1)	+ -
Educational policy (1)	+ -
Effective teaching. (1)	+ -
Elementary schools (1)	+ -
Elementary schools--Evaluation (1)	+ -
Guatemala (Guatemala) (1)	+ -
High school principals (1)	+ -
Identity (Psychology) (1)	+ -
John M. McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities (1)	+ -
Learning, Psychology of. (1)	+ -
Marzano, Robert J.--Art and sciene of teaching--Criticism and interpretation. (1)	+ -

Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology (14)	+ -
Florida Atlantic University (13)	+ -
College of Education (12)	+ -
Mountford, Meredith (9)	+ -
Mountford, Meredith L. (4)	+ -

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science (2)	+ -
Arellano, Matias (1)	+ -
Bartram, Lydia (1)	+ -
Evans, Corinth M. (1)	+ -
Givens, Keietta Latraill (1)	+ -
Grasinger, Justin (1)	+ -
Judd, Leslie (1)	+ -
Killeen, Mary K. (1)	+ -
Meredith Mountford (1)	+ -
Miller, Adam (1)	+ -
Pappas, Dustin (1)	+ -
Rich, Nancy (1)	+ -
Taal, Badara Alioune F. (1)	+ -
Vance Noelk Debra S. (1)	+ -
Walkinshaw, Nicole Michelle (1)	+ -
Warshaw, Jarrett B. (1)	+ -
Wilkins, Bryan L. (1)	+ -

Search In

Sort Results By:

Narrow results by:

Collection

Topical Subject

Genre

Type of Resource

Language

Creator

Format

Owner