Browsing by Subject "Elementary school"
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Item The afterschool battle : reproducing a racial binary in an urban school(2014-05) Childs, Alysia Ann; Foster, Kevin Michael, 1969-; Hartigan, John, 1964-This dissertation project is a critical anthropological analysis of the impact of colorism on the educational attainment and academic trajectory of African-American school students in Washington, DC by examining teacher expectations. Through a historical and contemporary lens of public education in DC, I examine the ways in which a black-white racial binary has been used by those in decision-making positions -- namely teachers, counselors, school administrators, Parents and Teachers Association members and other adult decision-makers -- as an indicator of a student's academic ability and their future educational attainment. What prompts this question is the abundance of academic programs in DC that, through a variety of extensive selection criteria, chose high-achieving students for placement in the city's college-preparatory, academic programs, who have a larger tendency to fit a particular phenotype (unless they are exceptionalized through other socioeconomic indicators). Two questions that my research addresses are: how phenotype is weighed against their actual versus perceived academic ability; and how do we explain the relative over-investment (i.e., redundancy of enrichment programs and resources) at one school over a lack of resources and programs at many other schools. I selected Washington, DC as the site for my doctoral research for two primary reasons: (1) its historic association for being one of the most (skin) color-conscious cities in the United States (Russell et al. 1992; Golden 2006; Kerr 2006); and (2) its historic and unique position as a testing ground for reform efforts in the public school system. I volunteered at a DC-area public school for the 2011-2012 academic year and became active in the various parental/community associations (i.e. the Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) and the Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) as a means of gaining first-hand knowledge of -- and experience with -- the various ways in which adults (i.e. teachers, counselors, parents and other school-based staff) place value and justify the assignment of resources to particular students and upon what basis (such as phenotype or socioeconomic background). In gaining access to and awareness of the dynamics of parental engagement at my field site, I began to analyze the role of race in the ways that such involvement is contained or policed by school officials. This dissertation project also takes into account students' awareness of such intersectional processes and whether the students categorize themselves and/or their peers according to a hierarchical scale of valorization.Item Boys at risk : an exploration of academic engagement in elementary school(2010-05) Arnold, Jamie Lee; Emmer, Edmund T.; Jones Eaton, Roberta L.; Rochlen, Aaron; Schallert, Diane L.; Suizzo, Marie-AnneFor the last twenty years, there has been growing concern among educators, scholars, and parents about the underachievement and disengagement of boys in school. Self-Determination theory postulates that individuals will be more motivated when their needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy are satisfied. Boys' relationships with teachers are sometimes conflictual, although relatedness to teachers has been shown to be a salient predictor for academic engagement. Teachers can also serve as a buffer for those students who are at risk of failure or dropping out. Other issues involve masculinity sitting uncomfortably with academic success, the need for self-discipline, and the nature of academic tasks being too sedentary and less hands-on. This study explores the academic engagement of at-risk boys with special attention to the role of teacher-student relationships using self-determination as a theoretical framework. A qualitative method was utilized to illuminate the complex interactions between antecedents and consequences for developing an explanatory scheme for why some boys do well academically and others do not. Ten third through fifth grade boys were interviewed, along with ten of their parents and six teachers. Topics ranged from their likes and dislikes, feelings about their teachers and school in general, and ways in which teachers and parents support and encourage them academically. The boys were observed in multiple settings throughout the school year. The goal was to shed light on the "boy crisis" and to take a nuanced approach when it comes to studying boys. The study was also designed to enhance our understanding of academic engagement as a multidimensional construct encompassing behavior, emotion, and cognition. Academic task characteristics and self-discipline, as well as relatedness to teachers, parents, and peers, emerged as important themes in engaging boys, while the construct of masculinity was not as salient. A proposed model was developed as a psychoeducational tool for providing information about the academic engagement of boys. This model could assist educators and parents in helping boys attain more joy and success in school.Item Early predictors of attention and engaged leaning in elementary school(2006-08) Dowsett, Chantelle Jean; Huston, Aletha C.Cognitive self-regulation, or the ability to direct one’s attention and actively participate in learning, is a valuable asset because it promotes successful adjustment across the lifespan. Although cross-sectional studies have provided some information about the stability and change in cognitive self-regulation from early childhood through the elementary school years (ages 3-12), less is known about the other child characteristics that influence its development. This study is designed to examine multiple dimensions of preschool skills in relation to children’s attention and engaged learning across the elementary school years. Rich longitudinal data are used from a sample of 1,364 typically developing children from across the U.S. who participated in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Variation in preschool attentional skills, social behavior, and early academic skills was used to predict average level and rate of change in attention, planning, work habits, and classroom engagement from first through sixth grades. Results indicate that high levels of teacher-rated attention problems in the fall of kindergarten are consistently related to lower levels of attention and engaged learning in elementary school. High scores on kindergarten teacher-rated internalizing problems and social skills are linked with high attention and classroom work habits according to elementary school teachers. Finally, early academic skills (particularly oral language skills) are associated with high performance on the Tower of Hanoi planning task and high observed classroom engagement. These results suggest that programs designed to promote school readiness would be remiss in emphasizing early academic skills to the detriment of addressing children’s attention problems and social behavior.Item The effects of grade-level retention in the early grades(2013-12) Sigafoos, Lisa Lynne; Flower, Andrea L.Policies are increasing the pressure for students to gain grade-level mastery. For example, federal legislation mandates that all children are able to read by third grade. This increased demand on teachers and schools has lead to more students being retained, especially in the early grades. Researchers have studied the effectiveness of retention, in the early elementary grades, in order to establish the immediate and later effects on academics, behavior development, and special education participation. Through an extensive search and analysis it was determined that retention has a largely negligible impact on student performance and has been unsuccessful in closing the achievement gap. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.Item The history lesson(2010-12) Tekeste, Bereket Hagos; Schiesari, NancyThis report documents the making of the thesis film The History Lesson. This short narrative film is the final requirement for a Master of Fine Arts degree in the Department of Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin.Item The impact of a reading intervention on reading and behavioral outcomes for fourth and fifth grade students with reading difficulties(2016-05) Roberts, Garrett James; Vaughn, Sharon, 1952-; Roberts, Greg; Barnes, Marcia; Powell, Sarah; Toste, JessicaEvidence supports a positive relationship between problem behaviors and reading difficulties across Grades K-12 yet there is a lack of research investigating the role of problem behavior in the context of reading interventions. In this study, data was analyzed from a site-specific subset of students from a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT) implementing a multi-component reading intervention for struggling readers in Grades 4 – 5. Data were analyzed to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the impact of multi-component reading intervention for 4th and 5th grade students who are struggling readers on both reading and problem behavior outcomes? and (2) Does problem behavior moderate the effect of a multi-component reading intervention for 4th and 5th grade students who are struggling readers? Students (n = 108) were randomly assigned to a one-year multi-component comprehension reading intervention or a school determined business as usual (BAU) comparison condition after meeting the criterion for identification as a struggling reader by scoring at or below a 90 standard score on the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension (Wagner, Torgesen, Rashotte, & Pearson, 2010) screener assessment. To answer the research questions, data (reading and behavior outcomes) were analyzed using an analysis of covariance to: 1) test the impact of the reading intervention on both reading and behavior outcomes; and 2) test for a significant interaction between measures of problem behavior and condition (i.e., treatment or comparison) on reading outcomes (e.g., Gates MacGinitie Reading Test; MacGainitie, 2000). Models controlled for student-level differences (e.g., reading pretest scores). Type I error associated with multiple comparisons was controlled for using the Benjamani-Hochberg correction to adjust for false discovery rates. Results suggested that the impact of treatment resulted in significant posttest group differences on word reading fluency (p < .05). Additionally, externalizing behavior moderated the reading outcomes on the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test for students with higher levels of externalizing behavior. Overall this research added to the research field by suggesting that problem behavior impacts reading outcomes. Future research is warranted to improve reading interventions that target students with problem behaviors.Item The impact of elementary school teachers’ beliefs about classroom management on intervention implementation decisions(2015-12) Terrell, Clarissa Lestee; Stark, Kevin Douglas; Carter, JenniferThere is a gap in the research about teacher beliefs as it pertains to how these beliefs guide teachers’ intervention decisions, particularly decisions about classroom management. The proposed study is interested in understanding and exploring how teacher beliefs impact classroom management implementation decisions. While classroom management interventions are used across grade levels, behavior management is a primary concern during the elementary school years. Therefore, the proposed study will be conducted with elementary school teachers. In order to more keenly examine this teaching experience, the proposed study will use a phenomenological approach to discern whether there are overarching themes in how teachers think about classroom management, plan and implement classroom management interventions, adjust to changes in the classroom environment, and represent their beliefs about classroom management in their classroom activities. This information will be obtained through the use of qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and two lived experience descriptions.Item Managing the three-ring circus : a study of student teachers’ understanding and learning of classroom management decision making(2011-05) Cassady, Allison Hanna; Field, Sherry L.Learning to manage a classroom of twenty-two elementary students is often likened to conducting a three-ring circus, particularly in the eyes of student teachers. As they enter the field, student teachers are given their first opportunities to observe and experience the delicate art of managing a classroom. They are faced with the challenges of handling the various aspects of teaching. Concurrently, they are enrolled in various methods courses as assigned by their university teacher preparation program, instructing them in various theories and best practices of their craft. In addition to enduring these challenges, student teachers must learn to think and make decisions as teachers. They are instructed to teach using explicit steps and procedures, yet the decision-making processes necessary for becoming a successful educator and manager are not addressed. Through qualitative case study, five student teachers share their observations and experiences as they met the challenges of learning to manage a classroom, focusing upon the need for sound decision making skills. Data for this investigation was taken from observations, interviews, reflections, and archived documents. Cross-case analyses revealed that participants felt anxious and unprepared when managing a classroom and lacked the decision-making skills necessary for successful management. The themes and findings derived from the data suggest that a great deal of management learning and decision-making skills come from time in the elementary classroom in conjunction with explicit teaching and conversations concerning these skills. Likewise, the relationship between the cooperating teacher and the student teacher, the authority the student teacher possesses in the classroom, as well as the teaching philosophies held by both greatly affect the successful acquisition of management decision-making skills. This study holds implications for the preparation student teachers receive, with regard to classroom management decision making, in their field-placement classrooms and university teacher preparation programs.Item Racial mistrust, perceptions of discrimination, and academic achievement among African American children(2014-12) Wright, Yamanda Fay; Bigler, Rebecca S.New evidence suggests that African American children’s mistrust of European American teachers plays a role in sustaining racial achievement gaps. However, racial mistrust may also play a protective role for stigmatized children by facilitating perceptions of discrimination in the event that they encounter racially biased feedback. The present study investigated the relations among African American children’s racial mistrust, perceptions of discrimination, and academic achievement. Participants included 67 elementary school-age children (ages 6-11 years) who completed two lab sessions assessing their mistrust of European American teachers, attributions to discrimination during a mock drawing contest designed to appear racially biased, and semester grades. I predicted that racial mistrust (1) is present among many African American children at the beginning of formal education, (2) predicts perceptions of discrimination, and (3) shows a quadratic relationship to African American children’s academic achievement, such that extreme (very high and very low) levels are associated with negative academic outcomes, whereas moderate levels are associated with positive academic outcomes. Contrary to expectations, results showed that African American children expect European American teachers to be biased in favor of African Americans. Specifically, African American children expect European American teachers to show more warmth than punitiveness across their interactions with African American and European American students, but they expect the warm-punitive differential to be even more pronounced with African American students. In addition, young African American children appear highly unlikely to attribute negative feedback from European American teachers to racial discrimination, even when such a bias appears likely. Finally, neither the expectation of racial bias nor perceptions of racial discrimination predicted African American children’s academic outcomes in this study. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed in the concluding chapter.Item Student rights and high school newspaper coverage: a view from four audiences(Texas Tech University, 1976-08) English, Linda CaroleneNot availableItem The School Newspaper as a Device in Teaching English: With Particular Reference to the Whirlwind, School Newspaper of Central Junior High School, Amarillo(Texas Tech University, 1932-08) Freeman, Marion EvansNot Available.