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Title: Build a Better Mousetrap: A Review of State School Accountability Models and Their Relation to the Socio-Economic Status of Students.
Creator: Houchens, Paul, Reyes-Guerra, Daniel, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, College of Education
Abstract/Description: This study aims to identify [or create] equitable accountability systems that can be used to drive sustainable school improvement. In this context, equitable accountability is defined as a measure more of the school’s impact on student achievement and less a measure of the socio-economic status of the students enrolled in the school. To do this, the study begins with a review of the history and current state of school accountability policies in the US and its relation to the concepts of...
Show moreThis study aims to identify [or create] equitable accountability systems that can be used to drive sustainable school improvement. In this context, equitable accountability is defined as a measure more of the school’s impact on student achievement and less a measure of the socio-economic status of the students enrolled in the school. To do this, the study begins with a review of the history and current state of school accountability policies in the US and its relation to the concepts of school improvement, between accountability and student achievement, a review of accountability policy in each state and the possible future model of accountability policy. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods with a policy analysis informing state correlational comparisons, which in turn informed the models to be applied to the Florida data to identify how they perform (correlate), culminating in the development of a new school accountability model. The policy analysis revealed current school accountability in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as the relationship between socio-economic status and school accountability in each where data were available. Five of these state models were shown to be significantly less related to socio-economic status than Florida. However, only two of these models performed similarly when applied to Florida data. Finally, a model was proposed that included aspects from these states and available literature that performed similarly to these two states. This study represents an important first step in a larger policy discussion of how to hold schools accountable for their impact on students and not a measure of the demographics of the students they are serving.
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Date Issued: 2023
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014138
Subject Headings: Education policy, Education and state, Educational sociology, Educational leadership
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A labor approach to the development of the self or "modern personality": The case of public education.
Creator: Mocombe, Paul C., Florida Atlantic University, Evans, Arthur S.
Abstract/Description: Max Weber, Karl Mannheim, and Karl Marx suggested that there is a relationship between economic and political institutions and that behaviors and attitudes are influenced by this. Viewing this postulate as a conception which posits the economic mode of production as the locus of causality for culture, this examination of capitalism as culture, investigates how education and its pedagogical techniques, as a means of "enculturation," reflects the capitalist economic mode of production. Building...
Show moreMax Weber, Karl Mannheim, and Karl Marx suggested that there is a relationship between economic and political institutions and that behaviors and attitudes are influenced by this. Viewing this postulate as a conception which posits the economic mode of production as the locus of causality for culture, this examination of capitalism as culture, investigates how education and its pedagogical techniques, as a means of "enculturation," reflects the capitalist economic mode of production. Building on the theoretical notions in the Sociology of knowledge and Structuralism, this hermeneutical analysis discusses how pedagogical techniques and curriculum arrangements of public schools in capitalist societies correlate with the organization of labor (for it is that role of the self which is dominant in capitalist societies). Data for this research was gathered through the content analysis of pedagogical techniques and curriculum arrangements adopted by The School Board of Broward County, Florida. Results show that the current shift in the organization of labor (from industrial to post-industrial) parallels, and therefore correlates with, the shift in curriculum and pedagogical arrangements' of The School Board of Broward County, Florida; as such it is a legitimate claim to suggest that the socialization of the self is determined by its relation to the mode of production.
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Date Issued: 2001
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12765
Subject Headings: Educational sociology, Personality, Socialization, Social psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A meta-analysis of Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory.
Creator: Wiggin, Harold Ellwood, Jr., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: This study examined the validity of Hersey and Blanchard' s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT). The meta-analytic techniques of Hunter, Schmidt, and Jackson were used to investigate two research questions: (1) Does the matching of leadership styles and follower maturity influence outcome measures? (2) Can any of the remaining variance be attributed to moderator variables? A literature search from January, 1968 to April, 1990 produced 26 acceptable studies with 52 separate effects. A...
Show moreThis study examined the validity of Hersey and Blanchard' s Situational Leadership Theory (SLT). The meta-analytic techniques of Hunter, Schmidt, and Jackson were used to investigate two research questions: (1) Does the matching of leadership styles and follower maturity influence outcome measures? (2) Can any of the remaining variance be attributed to moderator variables? A literature search from January, 1968 to April, 1990 produced 26 acceptable studies with 52 separate effects. A correlation coefficient was reported for each study. In studies with multiple effects the correlation was computed from an aggregation of those effects. A mean and variance were tabulated, and corrections were made for sampling error and attenuation. The corrected mean was.0498 with a variance of.0076. This was not significant. The criterion for significance was that the mean must be more than two standard deviations greater than zero (Hunter, Schmidt, & Jackson, 1982, p.28). An analysis of residual variance justified a search for moderator effects. Length of study proved to be the only influential moderator (.4343 mean and 0.0 standard deviation) when the Vertiz, et al. outlier was removed. With the exception of increasing the length of treatment, no evidence was obtained to support the Situational Leadership Theory. Future research should include longer durations, and more designs should incorporate outcome measures. Finally, measurement precision needs to improve for both leadership and maturity.
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Date Issued: 1991
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12289
Subject Headings: Sociology, Theory and Methods, Psychology, Social, Education, Administration
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Using the "We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" curriculum to improve middle school minority student knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution and perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society.
Creator: Shreffler, Michael R., Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning
Abstract/Description: The focus of this study was to determine whether the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum improved knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students. A second focus of this study was to determine if the same curriculum improved student perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society. The Test on the History and Principles of the United States Constitution Level II was used to determine whether there existed a...
Show moreThe focus of this study was to determine whether the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum improved knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students. A second focus of this study was to determine if the same curriculum improved student perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society. The Test on the History and Principles of the United States Constitution Level II was used to determine whether there existed a difference between middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and middle school minority students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The second instrument, Student Perception Questionnaire, measured perception of the rights and responsibilities of middle school minority students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. The instruments were administered to a total of 247 8th grade middle school students. The inquiry found significant differences in knowledge and understanding between 8th grade students who used the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students who used the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. Independent sample t tests revealed mean pretest values to be nearly identical but posttest values to be higher among students using the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The results demonstrated that the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum had a greater impact on the knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum compared to students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The study also found that there was only a marginally improved student perception between those students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven curriculum. Independent sample tests revealed that the change was insignificant. Research on effective citizenship education programs in American schools can play a significant role in the continuous efforts of social studies educators in promoting political participation among minority populations.
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Date Issued: 2003
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12058
Subject Headings: Education, Bilingual and Multicultural, Education, Secondary, Education, Social Sciences, Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A step toward violence prevention: "Non-Violent Communication" as part of a college curriculum.
Creator: Blake, Susan M., Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Abstract/Description: Structural hierarchies are deeply embedded in institutions such as our educational system. It can be argued that this type of model reinforces an aggressive worldview and fosters an atmosphere of violence. Teaching students to communicate compassionately should promote empathy, discourage verbal aggression and reinforce a more peaceful worldview. To accomplish this, educators need a means of replacing hegemony that assumes hierarchy and aggressive conflict are inevitable. Marshall Rosenberg's...
Show moreStructural hierarchies are deeply embedded in institutions such as our educational system. It can be argued that this type of model reinforces an aggressive worldview and fosters an atmosphere of violence. Teaching students to communicate compassionately should promote empathy, discourage verbal aggression and reinforce a more peaceful worldview. To accomplish this, educators need a means of replacing hegemony that assumes hierarchy and aggressive conflict are inevitable. Marshall Rosenberg's (2001) Nonviolent Communication (NVC) may provide educators with an appropriate tool. Rosenberg's model counters the prevailing hegemony making it an ideal candidate to explore in relation to these issues. This paper examines the impact of adding an NVC workshop to two types of communication courses and whether Rosenberg's model would be a useful addition to a college curriculum.
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Date Issued: 2002
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12877
Subject Headings: Speech Communication, Education, Guidance and Counseling, Sociology, General, Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of participation in the “girl talk” program on easing the transition to middle school.
Creator: Schietz, Randi J, Villares, Elizabeth, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Counselor Education
Abstract/Description: This study measured the impact of a gender-specific school counseling curriculum, “Girl Talk” on: relational aggressive behaviors, pro-social behaviors, student connectedness, cohesiveness, and social self-efficacy. The “Girl Talk” program consists of five sessions and was delivered as part of a comprehensive school counseling program. Fifth grade girls in four elementary schools (N=151) from one large, Southeastern school district participated in the study. Girls at two elementary schools...
Show moreThis study measured the impact of a gender-specific school counseling curriculum, “Girl Talk” on: relational aggressive behaviors, pro-social behaviors, student connectedness, cohesiveness, and social self-efficacy. The “Girl Talk” program consists of five sessions and was delivered as part of a comprehensive school counseling program. Fifth grade girls in four elementary schools (N=151) from one large, Southeastern school district participated in the study. Girls at two elementary schools received the “Girl Talk” program (treatment group; n=85) and their peer counterparts (comparison group; n=66) at the two remaining schools received their regular school counseling program. A series analysis of variance and an analysis of covariance test, using an alpha level of .05, was conducted to determine if statistically significant differences existed between participants' posttest scores by group condition on the Peer Relations Questionnaire (Rigby & Slee, 1993b), My Class Inventory–Short Form Revised (Sink & Spencer, 2005), the Peers and Friends subscales of the Hemingway Measure of Pre-Adolescent Connectedness (Karcher, 2005), and the Social self-efficacy subscale of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (Muris, 2001). Statistically significant differences were found in the areas of relational aggressive behaviors, pro-social behaviors, student connectedness, cohesiveness, and social self-efficacy. Partial eta square effect sizes were reported for each measure. The results support the positive impact that school counselors can have when using a systemic, gender-specific classroom guidance curriculum for reducing relational aggression among pre-adolescent girls.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004328, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004328
Subject Headings: Adolescent psychology, Counseling in elementary education, Educational counseling, Educational sociology, Sex differences (Psychology), Social psychology -- Methodology, Student adjustment
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: In-country: identification of transformational learning and leadership in human rights observers.
Creator: McDonald, Nancy D., Bryan, Valerie, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has suffered through centuries of disenfranchisement, poverty, slavery, environmental disasters, internecine racial prejudice, and foreign infringement. Its people won independence from France in 1804 but only at the cost of huge human and financial losses. Since then, Haiti has known little freedom or democracy. In 1991, the first truly democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was elected (with a 67% majority). Nine...
Show moreHaiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has suffered through centuries of disenfranchisement, poverty, slavery, environmental disasters, internecine racial prejudice, and foreign infringement. Its people won independence from France in 1804 but only at the cost of huge human and financial losses. Since then, Haiti has known little freedom or democracy. In 1991, the first truly democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was elected (with a 67% majority). Nine months later, he was deposed by a military coup d'état. During that time and the chaotic years that followed, groups of human rights observers traveled to Haiti in an attempt to record and report publically, officially, what was actually happening to the Haitian people and their institutions. Although much has been written about the country during that period, there have been no studies focused on the human rights observers who were intimately involved with the people and the country. These groups and other groups participating in similar situations have not been studied and, yet, research in that area might provide important insights in the field of social justice. It is important to identify what encourages individuals to become a part of the effort to make a positive difference in the lives of others, in the most adverse situations, the process by which human rights observers become engaged, and how that engagement affects their lives both during and after their in-country experiences. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to see if there are commonalities (e.g., socio-cultural influence, self-directed learning readiness, etc.) among the initial in-country experiences of several human rights observers and further to discover what, if any, effect those experiences had on their leadership styles. The study identified socio-cultural influences (self-directed learning readiness and familial, religious, educational impact); motivational factors; methods of processing the experience (immediate responses of connectedness/love and reasoned responses involving individual and group reflection); and multiple outcomes (spiritualty, social action, and creativity). The overarching findings included identification of transformational learning in the participants and the evolution of their leadership from the servant model into a transformational/chaos model, including reflection in and on action as an operating context.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004216, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004216
Subject Headings: Educational sociology, Human rights -- Haiti, Human rights workers -- Haiti, Leadership, Leadership -- Psychological aspects, Social justice
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Strategies for effective communication with Hispanic students: An analysis of student responses to recruitment viewbooks used by colleges and universities.
Creator: Botero, Nancy Renee, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Abstract/Description: This study examines effective strategies of communication with Hispanic students through the use of printed material, specifically recruitment viewbooks used by colleges and universities. The Hispanic market is significant in south Florida. As colleges and universities begin to seek to communicate the benefits of their institutions to this population, it is important to produce printed communication in a manner that appeals to members of the Hispanic culture. Using a qualitative approach...
Show moreThis study examines effective strategies of communication with Hispanic students through the use of printed material, specifically recruitment viewbooks used by colleges and universities. The Hispanic market is significant in south Florida. As colleges and universities begin to seek to communicate the benefits of their institutions to this population, it is important to produce printed communication in a manner that appeals to members of the Hispanic culture. Using a qualitative approach through focus group research, Hispanic freshmen students of a community college and upper division students at a public university were asked a series of open-ended questions about their preferences in the use of language, photographs and several design elements of three publications. One college viewbook represented a majority enrollment of Hispanics. The second viewbook represented a university that is culturally diverse. A third viewbook represented a university that has Hispanic enrollment of less than 4%.
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Date Issued: 1999
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15621
Subject Headings: Business Administration, Marketing, Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Mass Communications, Education, Higher
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Does leadership matter?: the relationship of school leadership to a safe school climate,bullying, and fighting in middle school.
Creator: Leff, Jonathan M., Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia, Florida Atlantic University, 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 relationship between transformational principal leadership style, a safe school climate, and school safety (specifically, the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents) in Broward County, Florida’s middle schools. This study also investigated if a relationship exists between transformational leadership and a safe school climate, transformational leadership, and the number of bullying incidents and student...
Show moreThe purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between transformational principal leadership style, a safe school climate, and school safety (specifically, the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents) in Broward County, Florida’s middle schools. This study also investigated if a relationship exists between transformational leadership and a safe school climate, transformational leadership, and the number of bullying incidents and student fights, and a safe school climate and the number of bullying incidents and student fights. The study surveyed 12 middle schools located in a large, urban district in south Florida. Principal leadership style was determined from the MLQ-5X, school safety climate was determined from the school district’s Annual Customer Survey, and the reported number of fights and bullying incidents recorded in the school district’s Discipline Management System were collected via records request for each participating middle school and tallied. Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the bivariate association between the leadership dimensions, a safe school climate, and school violence. Separate multiple linear regression models were used to examine the following relationships: leadership style and the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents; leadership style and a safe school climate; and a safe school climate and the number of reported fights and reported bullying incidents. The findings suggested that there were no statistically significant correlations between leadership style (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire), and bullying or fighting, and no statistically significant correlation between principal leadership style and middle school climate. There was a statistically significant correlation found between school climate and the number of student fights. The significance of this finding is important because it illustrates the adverse impact fighting has on student safety, which, in turn, adversely affects the school climate. Therefore, it is up to the school leader to create a climate where everyone feels safe can focus on student achievement.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004133, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004133
Subject Headings: Bullying in schools -- Prevention, Education, Secondary -- Sociological aspects, Educational leadership, Educational leadership, Middle school students -- Attitudes, Middle school teachers -- Attitudes, School management and organization
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Understanding how national board certified secondary mathematics teachers integrate academic and social knowledge of students into their practice.
Creator: Cook, Karen, Burnaford, Gail, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: This qualitative case study investigated how six National Board Certified secondary mathematics teachers integrate knowledge of students into their practice to create socio- academic spaces for learning. Individual audiotaped interviews were utilized to generate data about what knowledge these teachers had of their students, how they gathered this knowledge, and how this knowledge of students influenced their decisions related to curriculum and instruction. The data were used to form an...
Show moreThis qualitative case study investigated how six National Board Certified secondary mathematics teachers integrate knowledge of students into their practice to create socio- academic spaces for learning. Individual audiotaped interviews were utilized to generate data about what knowledge these teachers had of their students, how they gathered this knowledge, and how this knowledge of students influenced their decisions related to curriculum and instruction. The data were used to form an understanding of the nature and function of the socio- academic spaces that teachers create in planning for and delivering instruction. The study revealed that as teachers interact independently with the curriculum, they create spaces for analysis and reflection. In addition, as they interact with their students around the curriculum, they create spaces for their students to practice, to make connections, to communicate, and to apply and experience math.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004357, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004357
Subject Headings: Classroom environment, Curriculum planning, Education, Secondary, Educational psychology, Educational sociology, Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (U.S.)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Preservice teachers' developing beliefs about diversity as revealed through reflection and discourse.
Creator: Schaub, Cynthia R., College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to analyze the development of preservice teachers' beliefs in regard to diversity concepts and issues. The current study finds a positive development in preservice teacher candidates' professional beliefs about diversity as shown through observations, interviews, and document analysis at the beginning and end of upper division coursework in an elementary education degree program that infuses diversity throughout the program. Reflection is at the core of the goals...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to analyze the development of preservice teachers' beliefs in regard to diversity concepts and issues. The current study finds a positive development in preservice teacher candidates' professional beliefs about diversity as shown through observations, interviews, and document analysis at the beginning and end of upper division coursework in an elementary education degree program that infuses diversity throughout the program. Reflection is at the core of the goals of the college of education in which this program resides. Findings from this study revealed that through reflection and discourse, a majority of the senior students did show development in their professional beliefs about diversity concepts and issues. These findings may add to literature on program evaluation in the study of diversity concepts and infusion throughout upper division coursework. This study was limited due to an extremely low response rate and other spurious factors.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362566
Subject Headings: Teachers, Training of, Teachers, Attitudes, Teaching, Sociological aspects, Teacher-student relationships, Multicultural education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Examining the governance and administration of public higher education in Florida: An exploratory study of organizational elite theory.
Creator: O'Flannery, Jennifer Lunardini, Florida Atlantic University, Farazmand, Ali
Abstract/Description: Who has power and control over education, one of the most treasured and significant values of American society? This study examines the presence of the elite power structure in higher education and how organizations are used as instruments of institutional power. The research questions consider the manner in which elites are involved in the policy process and governance, the reasons why elites are so involved in Florida's public higher education, and how elites convey and implement their...
Show moreWho has power and control over education, one of the most treasured and significant values of American society? This study examines the presence of the elite power structure in higher education and how organizations are used as instruments of institutional power. The research questions consider the manner in which elites are involved in the policy process and governance, the reasons why elites are so involved in Florida's public higher education, and how elites convey and implement their priorities and values. An exploratory research approach examines the presence of Farazmand's (1994, 1999) concept of organizational elites by combining qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The findings support the research propositions. The reason for governance change builds on three factors throughout which power and control persist, a change in membership of the State Cabinet, the Governor's desire to be accountable for education policy, and a lack of confidence in the existing governance system. Trustees advocate for their university and education in general through alumni programs, fundraising, political affiliations, business and research partnerships, and other university and community college boards. Trustees are successful business people, savvy politicians, and well connected to state political leaders. They recognize their collective assets as influence with the Florida legislature, bringing financial order and accountability, and increasing funding and resources. The existence of organizational elites and their effect are seen in several areas: lack of knowledge of trustee meetings and decisions; limited communications, a perceived disconnect between faculty and trustees, a budget process perceived as not being transparent, and a level of decision making at which most staff members are not participants. This study suggests boards work to enhance and improve their communication, outreach, professionalism, and faculty relations. Trustees, elected officials and state leaders must work to resolve the power and organization of the Board of Governors.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12145
Subject Headings: Elite (Social sciences)--Florida, Educational sociology--Florida, Power (Social sciences)--Florida, School management and organization--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: A critical analysis of first generation black male college students’ perceptions of their preparation for college level mathematics.
Creator: Williams, Kyla L., Schoorman, Dilys, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Abstract/Description: President Obama’s 2014 “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative responds to the continuing educational disparities that the No Child Left Behind Act was intended to have addressed. The preoccupation with standardized testing and accountability over the past decade has revealed evidence of disparities in achievement between Black male students and their White counterparts. Critical Race Theorists have framed these persistent disparities as evidence of the opportunity gap and have advocated culturally...
Show morePresident Obama’s 2014 “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative responds to the continuing educational disparities that the No Child Left Behind Act was intended to have addressed. The preoccupation with standardized testing and accountability over the past decade has revealed evidence of disparities in achievement between Black male students and their White counterparts. Critical Race Theorists have framed these persistent disparities as evidence of the opportunity gap and have advocated culturally responsive pedagogy that would facilitate students’ academic success.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004421, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004421
Subject Headings: Achievement in education, Critical pedagogy, Educational sociology -- United States, Mathematics -- Studying and teaching (Graduate), Mathematics -- Studying and teaching (High school), Minorities -- Education -- United States, Motivation in education, Racism in higher education
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Florida Student Progression Policies and Their Effect on Student Achievement.
Creator: Wright, Marielena P., Pisapia, John, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: This study investigated the varied district student progression policies from 9th to lOth grade and their effect on the district-level achievement of the high schools as measured by six categories of FCA T achievement consistent with those that comprise district grades during the 2005-2006 academic year. In Florida, the state assessment policy and the resulting rewards and sanctions policy, known as the Florida A+ Plan, are uniformly defined across districts while the state student...
Show moreThis study investigated the varied district student progression policies from 9th to lOth grade and their effect on the district-level achievement of the high schools as measured by six categories of FCA T achievement consistent with those that comprise district grades during the 2005-2006 academic year. In Florida, the state assessment policy and the resulting rewards and sanctions policy, known as the Florida A+ Plan, are uniformly defined across districts while the state student progression policy simply provides guidelines for districts to follow. This results in varied student progression policies in the 67 school districts within the state. A quantitative study of the district student progression policies for promotion from 9th to lOth grade and student achievement, as measured by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCA T), was conducted to determine the effect of varied student progression policies on district FCA T achievement. Five predictor variables, based upon promotion requirements from the 9th to 1Oth grade, - number of credits, the type of credits, the availability of midyear promotion, additional requirements to be met for midyear promotion, and minimum grade point average - the six FCA T based criterion variables; and, two contextual variables - district socioeconomic status (SES) and district size were used in the study. Linear regression analysis was used to find that the inclusion of a minimum grade point average had a significant inverse relationship with FCA T Reading Learning Gains. Additionally, theSES of the district was found to significantly affect the relationship between the midyear promotion of students and FCAT Reading proficiency; the type of credits required for promotion and FCA T Math proficiency; and the minimum number of credits required for promotion and both FCA T Math learning gains and FCA T Reading learning gains of the lowest quartile of students. The second order interaction of district size on the effect of SES on the relationship between the predictor and criterion variables yielded significant moderating effects of district size on the moderating effect of SES for the relationships between the minimum number of credits required for promotion and both FCA T Math proficiency and FCA T Math learning gains.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000716
Subject Headings: Academic achievement--Florida--Evaluation, Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test--Evaluation, Educational tests and measurements--Florida--Evaluation, Grading and marking (Students), Educational sociology--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Soil of misfortune: Education, poverty, and race in a rural south Florida community.
Creator: Gonzalez, Juan Carlos., Florida Atlantic University, Kirsch, Max H.
Abstract/Description: This dissertation addresses the structural components of education in the United States and how they have hindered the ability of a community's black and brown children to obtain the knowledge and resources needed to succeed and adapt to the changing circumstances of their region and beyond. It will do so through a case study of a small community in the American South, where the failure of education to provide access to the American dream has been clearly demonstrated in persistent poverty...
Show moreThis dissertation addresses the structural components of education in the United States and how they have hindered the ability of a community's black and brown children to obtain the knowledge and resources needed to succeed and adapt to the changing circumstances of their region and beyond. It will do so through a case study of a small community in the American South, where the failure of education to provide access to the American dream has been clearly demonstrated in persistent poverty and lack of opportunity available to its residents. Belle Glade, Florida is a rural community centrally located within the Everglades Agricultural Area. Fifty years after the historic 1954 Brown vs. Board decision, which outlawed school segregation and the separate but equal claims of Plessy vs. Ferguson, little has changed in this poor rural community. This study shows that this community, rather than representing an isolated case, is reflective of many small non-metro communities of the American South. Though integration initially intended to balance the great disparity that existed between the schools for black children and schools for white children in regards to facilities, materials, and curriculum, in Belle Glade and throughout the South those same disparities still exist today. This study argues that current state education policies, modeled after the federal government's "No Child Left Behind Plan," are a veneer for a separate and unequal educational policy and practice in the state of Florida. It seeks to explore and document why this has occurred, and place this case study within the larger context of structural inequalities on the local, national and global levels. How is it that the "freest nation in the world" with the largest gross national product has yet to fulfill its most fundamental promise to this community---equal opportunity and access to quality education? Thus, this dissertation asks why regardless of the policies, plans, curricula and tests the district and state adopt, at times with the best of intentions, nothing seems to improve the conditions of these black citizens? More importantly, when these issues are addressed, who speaks, under what conditions and for whom?
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12161
Subject Headings: Social capital (Sociology)--United States, Segregation in education--Florida--Belle Glade, African Americans--Education--History--20th century, Educational change--Florida--Belle Glade, Race relations in school management--Florida, Discrimination in education--Florida
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The influence of sub-cultures on planned organizational change in a community college: An exploratory case study.
Creator: Locke, Mary G., Florida Atlantic University, Guglielmino, Lucy M.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this research study was to explore and increase understanding of the ways in which sub-cultural groups within a community college may differently experience, respond to, and influence the organization's efforts to engage in purposeful change. To accomplish this purpose, an exploratory case study was conducted focusing on a medium-sized community college which was engaged in a multi-faceted institution-wide planned change initiative throughout the duration of the study....
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to explore and increase understanding of the ways in which sub-cultural groups within a community college may differently experience, respond to, and influence the organization's efforts to engage in purposeful change. To accomplish this purpose, an exploratory case study was conducted focusing on a medium-sized community college which was engaged in a multi-faceted institution-wide planned change initiative throughout the duration of the study. Qualitative research methods, including focus groups, individual interviews, an anonymous open-ended questionnaire, participant observations and review of archival documentation were utilized to identify, analyze, contrast and compare the perceptions, beliefs and assumptions of four sub-cultural groups within the community college. These groups included the administrative, senior faculty, junior faculty, and support staff sub-cultures. A total of 86 participants were involved in the study. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Schein's cultural dimensions model (1992), Kotter's eight-stage process for large-scale organizational change (1996), and Schein's three-tier model of organizational culture (1992). These theories informed the development of multiple data collection strategies, research protocols, and a three-phase data analysis process. This research design produced thick, rich data which was useful in revealing and understanding the meaning that each sub-culture ascribed to the planned change initiative. Through the research, it was determined that the four stakeholder groups initially identified through a preliminary pilot study did, in fact, constitute distinct sub-cultures based on differing cultural assumptions. Through thematic analysis, it was also determined that, although the four sub-cultures exhibited important commonalities in their perceptions regarding planned change, the sub-cultures also demonstrated significant differences in the ways in which they experienced, responded to, and influenced planned change. Further, it was determined that the differences between sub-cultures were at the deepest level of culture, basic underlying assumptions, where they were most likely to facilitate or hinder the planned change initiative. The implications of these sub-cultural differences and related strategies that community college leaders might consider when designing a planned change initiative were discussed. Recommendations for further research and the significance of the study were also presented.
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Date Issued: 2005
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12181
Subject Headings: Community colleges--United States--Administration, Community colleges--United States--Sociological aspects, Organizational change--United States--Case studies, Educational anthropology--United States
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Exploring the College Choice and Sense of Belonging of Haitian Students at a Highly Selective HBCU.
Creator: Pierre-Louis, Paul-Arthur, Laanan, Frankie Santos, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology
Abstract/Description: The growing Haitian population in the United States is directly affecting all institutions of higher education As institutions continue to diversify across the country, HBCUs are also responding to this trend According to Ricard and Brown (2008), HBCUs are changing in order to keep up with the growing demand of institutional diversity, and they recognize that having a diversified student body will make the institutions more competitive Although their historic mission focuses on educating...
Show moreThe growing Haitian population in the United States is directly affecting all institutions of higher education As institutions continue to diversify across the country, HBCUs are also responding to this trend According to Ricard and Brown (2008), HBCUs are changing in order to keep up with the growing demand of institutional diversity, and they recognize that having a diversified student body will make the institutions more competitive Although their historic mission focuses on educating Black students, there remains a gap in the literature on HBCUs on one of the largest Black groups in the United States: the Haitian immigrant In the literature, the Haitian population constitutes approximately 15% of the total US foreign-born population, and 15% of the total Black immigrant population in the US, behind Jamaicans at 18%, respectively Moreover, Haitians make up the fourth largest immigrant population from the Caribbean behind Cubans, Dominicans, and Jamaicans (Anderson, 2015) However, these numbers do not include the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who fled the Country after the devastating earthquake of 2010 nor the thousands of undocumented Haitian immigrants currently living in the US This qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore the college choice process of ten Haitian students who chose to attend a highly selective HBCU located in the Northeast region of the United States Moreover, this study sought to explore how these ten Haitian students developed a sense of belonging to the HBCU campus The primary methods for data collection included semi-structured one-on-one interviews, a demographic questionnaire, and artifact analysis Using the theoretical frameworks of Chapman’s (1981) Model of College Choice and Sense of Belonging, this study discovered the factors that influence Haitian students’ decision to attend a highly selective HBCU centers around family Moreover, this study discovered that Haitian students at a highly selective HBCU described their sense of belonging through various forms of relationships
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004751
Subject Headings: African American universities and colleges--United States, Minority college students--United States--Psychology, College choice--United States, Haitian Americans--Education (Higher), Motivation (Psychology), Student adjustment, College environment, Educational sociology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Language choice in children’s animated TV shows.
Creator: Golitschek, Katharina, Augustyn, Prisca, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of Languages, Lingustics and Comparative Literature
Abstract/Description: This study aims to analyze three popular U.S. children’s TV shows – Dora the Explorer (Nickelodeon), Maya & Miguel (PBS) and Handy Manny (Disney Channel) – in terms of their incorporation of Spanish. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used to assess the frequency and types of code switching both in the context of bilingualism and language pedagogy. The study revealed different strategies of language choice and socio-cultural objectives for each show. A close analysis of language...
Show moreThis study aims to analyze three popular U.S. children’s TV shows – Dora the Explorer (Nickelodeon), Maya & Miguel (PBS) and Handy Manny (Disney Channel) – in terms of their incorporation of Spanish. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used to assess the frequency and types of code switching both in the context of bilingualism and language pedagogy. The study revealed different strategies of language choice and socio-cultural objectives for each show. A close analysis of language choice in the three children’s TV programs revealed distinct approaches to TV writing in the name of raising awareness of ethnic diversity, developing cultural literacy, and brand marketing.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004197, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004197
Subject Headings: Animated television programs -- Social aspects, Bilingualism, Children in popular culture, Children's television programs -- Social aspects, Critical pedagogy, Dora the Explorer (Television program), Educational sociology, Television programs for children -- Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Academic performance and demographic variables in predicting success in college algebra and graduation rates in an urban multi-campus community college.
Creator: Pedersen, Ginger Lee., Florida Atlantic University, Decker, Larry E.
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to develop a model to predict success in college algebra and in Associate in Arts graduation, and to examine the relationship between placing in one or more developmental education courses and Associate in Arts graduation. The study was conducted at a large urban community college in Palm Beach County, Florida with 1,142 first-time-in-college students who took the College Placement Test (CPT) as their entrance examination. The study was designed to determine...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to develop a model to predict success in college algebra and in Associate in Arts graduation, and to examine the relationship between placing in one or more developmental education courses and Associate in Arts graduation. The study was conducted at a large urban community college in Palm Beach County, Florida with 1,142 first-time-in-college students who took the College Placement Test (CPT) as their entrance examination. The study was designed to determine whether students' gender, age, ethnicity, grade point average (GPA), English language proficiency, nontraditional status, placement scores and number of developmental courses could predict a students' success in college algebra and graduating with the Associate in Arts degree, and how placing in one or more developmental course was correlated with graduating with the Associate in Arts degree. Three research hypotheses were developed to determine any significant predictive ability among the variables studied. Hypotheses 1 and 2 used discriminant analysis to determine the predicative ability of identified variables and hypothesis 3 used a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient to assess the relationship of placing into one or more developmental courses on graduating with the Associate in Arts degree. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The results of the study indicated that for hypothesis 1 the variables of GPA, number of developmental courses, level of mathematics courses and mathematics placement score were all significant predictors. For hypothesis 2, the variables of GPA, placement scores in reading and writing, and the number of developmental courses were all significant predictors. For hypothesis 3, the number of developmental courses that a student tested into did have a significant relationship with the student's receiving an Associate in Arts degree. The results are discussed in relation to ensuring that students are better prepared for college-level work by a series of recommendations relating to collaborative efforts between community colleges and local high school districts. In addition, recommendations are made to re-align the developmental mathematics curriculum to effectively prepare students for subsequent college-level mathematics courses.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12083
Subject Headings: Community colleges--Florida--Palm Beach County--Sociological aspects, Community college students--Florida--Palm Beach County--Statistics, Academic achievement--Florida--Palm Beach County, Postsecondary education--Research--Florida--Palm Beach County, Algebra
Format: Document (PDF)

Educational sociology (7)	+ -
Critical pedagogy (2)	+ -
Education, Curriculum and Instruction (2)	+ -
Education, Secondary (2)	+ -
Educational leadership (2)	+ -

Educational sociology--Florida (2)	+ -
Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies (2)	+ -
Student adjustment (2)	+ -
Academic achievement--Florida--Evaluation (1)	+ -
Academic achievement--Florida--Palm Beach County (1)	+ -
Achievement in education (1)	+ -
Adolescent psychology (1)	+ -
African American universities and colleges--United States (1)	+ -
African Americans--Education--History--20th century (1)	+ -
Algebra (1)	+ -
Animated television programs -- Social aspects (1)	+ -
Attitudes (1)	+ -
Bilingualism (1)	+ -
Bullying in schools -- Prevention (1)	+ -
Business Administration, Marketing (1)	+ -
Children in popular culture (1)	+ -
Children's television programs -- Social aspects (1)	+ -
Classroom environment (1)	+ -
College choice--United States (1)	+ -
College environment (1)	+ -
Community college students--Florida--Palm Beach County--Statistics (1)	+ -
Community colleges--Florida--Palm Beach County--Sociological aspects (1)	+ -
Community colleges--United States--Administration (1)	+ -
Community colleges--United States--Sociological aspects (1)	+ -
Counseling in elementary education (1)	+ -

Florida Atlantic University (18)	+ -
College of Education (10)	+ -
Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology (5)	+ -
Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry (3)	+ -
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters (3)	+ -

Augustyn, Prisca (1)	+ -
Blake, Susan M. (1)	+ -
Botero, Nancy Renee (1)	+ -
Bryan, Valerie (1)	+ -
Burnaford, Gail (1)	+ -
Cook, Karen (1)	+ -
Decker, Larry E. (1)	+ -
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (1)	+ -
Department of Counselor Education (1)	+ -
Department of Languages, Lingustics and Comparative Literature (1)	+ -
Department of Teaching and Learning (1)	+ -
Evans, Arthur S. (1)	+ -
Farazmand, Ali (1)	+ -
Golitschek, Katharina (1)	+ -
Gonzalez, Juan Carlos. (1)	+ -
Guglielmino, Lucy M. (1)	+ -
Houchens, Paul (1)	+ -
Kirsch, Max H. (1)	+ -
Laanan, Frankie Santos (1)	+ -
Leff, Jonathan M. (1)	+ -
Locke, Mary G. (1)	+ -
Maslin-Ostrowski, Patricia (1)	+ -
McDonald, Nancy D. (1)	+ -
Mocombe, Paul C. (1)	+ -
O'Flannery, Jennifer Lunardini (1)	+ -

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