Browsing by Subject "K-12"
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Item Bringing critical race theory to California school reform : how California's new school funding law can target achievement for students of color(2016-05) Gonzalez, Rosalina; Auerbach, Robert D.; Cantú, NormaThis report introduces California’s new public school funding law and posits that it represents an excellent opportunity to make district-wide changes in the education processes that most influence students of color. The report recommends new strategies for education reform that are informed by a Critical Race Theory framework, and proposes four areas of concern for California public school administrators to target in their district Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs). The report includes examples of how districts around the state are already beginning to include these new strategies in their LCAPs, and the California state education standards they meet. The report also gives a short history of public education in the United States, as well as an introduction of a Critical Race Theory framework on education and its discriminatory history.Item A case study of the use of professional development to support mobile technology integration(2012-08) Maradiegue, Erin Kelsey; Liu, Min, Ed. D.; Palmer, DeborahMobile devices are playing an increasingly prevalent role in K-12 education, as school systems are adopting the technology to enhance student learning. Consequently, teachers have to learn how to incorporate the devices into their classrooms, with the help of professional development activities. This case study examined the professional development of four teachers who participated in their school district’s iPod touch initiative for English Language Learners (ELLs), as well as the perspective of the instructional media specialist charged with assisting the teachers. The study aimed to understand what district-led and independent training activities K-12 teachers engage in and the influence the activities have on how mobile devices are used by the teachers. The educational activities of the teachers and their impact on the teachers’ technology integration were documented through a series of interviews, a training observation, and teacher questionnaires. The research identified four types of professional development support provided by the district and five types of self-guided or incidental learning activities that teachers engaged in that directly impacted the way they used the device. The district-led trainings are 1) group trainings 2) in-class demonstrations 3) one-on-one training and 4) ongoing support. The self-guided and incidental learning activities found are 1) research for resources and ideas 2) brainstorming 3) experimenting with apps and activities 4) collaboration with others and 5) students serving as trainers. Increased personal instruction, cultivating formal learning through mentoring and an online forum, and developing online training resources for a mobile format are proposed for professional development that would aid in the integration of mobile devices in a K-12 environment.Item Cost Comparison of Public Elementary School Construction Costs Based on Project Delivery System in the State of Texas(2012-02-14) Reinisch, AshleyIf a correlation exists between cost and project delivery system then this is crucial knowledge for any group organizing a new construction project. It has been observed anecdotally that the construction cost per student of public elementary schools has been observed to continue to increase in the state of Texas, even with the recent downturn in the economy. The recent economic depression in the USA has seen construction material costs stagnate and construction costs dropping. This is a direct result of the competitive nature of a market that has a lack of business. The issue of a rising cost at the time of a falling market is of more than a passing research interest to school superintendents and the people of Texas. This study investigated the relationship between cost and project delivery systems. A survey was sent to all school superintendents in Texas requesting recent data on elementary school enrollment, project delivery type and construction costs. One hundred and thirty six responses were received from one thousand and seventy six Texas school districts. A comparative means test was used to determine if a relationship exists between construction cost per student and project delivery system for public elementary schools in Texas. The research shows that Texas school districts are primarily using two types of project delivery systems for their new school construction, Construction Management at Risk and Competitive Sealed Proposals. After comparing the average construction cost per student for these two project delivery systems, the statistical analysis showed that Competitive Sealed Proposals cost approximately four thousand dollar less per student than Construction Management at Risk. The clear question is then as to why are districts using Construction Management at Risk when the comparative benefits of the contract type are not worth this amount of money per student.Item How do three public school art teachers in Texas use art criticism and discussion to teach contemporary art in the K-12 classroom(2014-05) Garfield, Samantha Rebecca; Bain, ChristinaI conducted a case study to observe three art classes at various campuses throughout Austin, Texas in order to observe how art criticism methods were used to guide classroom discussions about contemporary art. By engaging in art criticism in the classroom, an instructor can ultimately enrich the teaching and learning of art. They can also assist students in learning to subjectively evaluate images from their everyday lives, reinforcing the value placed on thoughtful description through art education. Learning how to turn an evaluation from a judgmental and careless acceptance or dismissal into a thoughtful analysis can suspend indifference and re-invigorate the potential educational aspect of time spent in the art classroom and expand the scope of learning outside the arena of art. The value of using contemporary art for these evaluations, as opposed to more traditionally recognized artists, enables the art lessons to become integrated into a social and cultural context and can integrate social studies, political science, and any number of other concentrations into arts education.Item The impact of one-to-one laptop initiatives on K-12 math and science pedagogy and achievement : a literature review(2015-08) Maxwell, Amy Leigh; Hughes, Joan E.; Liu, MinThe use of computers in education has evolved over the past thirty years and provided a new platform for teaching and learning. The student to computer ratio rapidly decreased during the 1990s and increased access to wireless Internet connections and portable devices at the beginning of the 21st century prompted more and more schools to provide each student with a laptop computer. The purpose of this report is to provide a review of literature that evaluates how one-to-one laptop initiatives support student- centered pedagogy and impacts achievement in K-12 math and science classrooms. More specifically, this review examines how the frequency of laptop use and the specific programs and applications that are used in math and science can support student-centered learning and affect achievement. The results of the literature review provide insight as to what educators can expect when each student has a laptop.Item The K-12 educational experiences and identity formation of Na’ Ñuu Davi in Washington State(2015-05) Guevara-Cruz, Griselda; Rodríguez, Néstor; Urrieta, Jr. , LuisIn this project, I look at how individuals of Ñuu Davi background came to an understanding of their social position while in the United States' K-12 educational pipeline and how it contributed to their life goals (academically and personally). Some questions addressed are: How does resilience work for students who face multi-layered barriers in education? How do they negotiate their identity? How do acquired skills in school become useful beyond academic settings? Does their acquired knowledge and path of resistance allow for civic/social engagement? Although the focus of this project is very specific, children of individuals of La Mixteca Baja region of Oaxaca residing in Washington State, the findings of this research are relevant in other places where Ñuu Davi (Mixteco) students are present and are being served in the educational pipeline. I see the importance of looking into this community's children's experiences, struggles, and needs in school in order to best equip them to navigate unfamiliar spaces. This exploratory research project stems from my personal experience as a Ña'a Davi (Mixteca) growing up in the Pacific Northwest--juggling three cultures and languages--and the curiosity of learning about the experiences of others from the same background, particularly in education.Item A statistical analysis of the effects of project-based learning on student high school and college outcomes(2015-05) Craig, Tara Theresa; Marshall, Jill Ann; Azevedo , Flavio; Beretvas, Susan N; Marder, Michael; Riegle-Crumb, CatherineThis dissertation research study is an analysis of the effects of project-based learning on a cohort of high school students’ achievement on mathematics and science standardized tests and graduation rates. The study also investigates college enrollment and first year grade point averages (GPA) for students taught solely through project-based instructional methods in high school. In the 21st century, STEM fields dominate our work force, but there is a decline in interest and persistence towards these fields that can be traced back to high school achievement in mathematics. The people that are choosing and prepared for STEM majors and careers are not representative of the US population, as they are lacking ethnic and gender diversity. The underlying premise is that inquiry-based teaching practices engage and motivate students leading to increased learning; however this premise is not currently fully supported with empirical research. This research compares students that attended a high school that teaches all courses through project-based learning with a matched control group of students. I first analyzed the demographic makeup of students that chose to apply to Manor New Tech, a STEM-focused, PBL school. Then, I developed multiple linear regression models that allowed me to determine that students attending the PBL school performed as well as the control group on math standardized exams and significantly better on one of the science standardized exams. Further analysis showed that ethnic and gender achievement gaps on the standardized assessments were maintained when students attended the PBL school. Similarly, students that attended the PBL school as likely to graduate high school. Comparing the PBL school with a more affluent school that also teaches all courses through PBL showed that graduates from the PBL school of focus in this research were significantly more likely to enroll in 2-year institutions of higher education and just as likely to enroll in 4-year and private institutions in Texas as the more affluent school. Finding that attendance at MNTH does not harm students’ standardized test performance or graduation rates could imply that being taught through PBL does not enhance high school and college outcomes. It could also imply that students taught at the PBL school, MNTH, are not experiencing authentic PBL, or conversely that students attending the comparison school, MHS, are receiving instruction through project-based methods as well. Lastly, the standardized assessments used to measure achievement may not be sensitive to some higher order skill development that may occur when taught through inquiry-based methods. Future research plans are to create new achievement measures that will capture more robust learning than traditional standardized tests. Using these instruments, further analysis of difference in students’ performance when they are taught through inquiry methods will be conducted.