Browsing by Subject "Middle school"

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A longitudinal, cross-sectional case study of students’ digital literacy learning and development at the middle school using a blended, technology-rich, project-based learning approach
(2019-05-10) Hsu, Hsiao-Ping; Hughes, Joan E.; Resta, Paul E.; Schallert, Diane L.; Petrosino, Anthony J.
This study examined changes to middle school students’ digital literacy after engagement in a learning environment based on a blended, technology-rich, project-based instructional innovation (BTPII). Guided by the social constructivist epistemology and the European Union’s DigComp 2.0 framework, this study attempted to understand how students’ digital literacy changes and final performance in a BTPII learning environment differed, with respect to participants’ multiple engagement, levels of daily Internet access time, and daily Internet usage purposes. Thus, this study applied a cross-sectional, mixed method case study approach to middle-school participants of the BTPII-based after-school program, across the spring and fall semesters of 2017 and 2018. Eighty middle school students completed the whole program and provided valid survey responses. Participants of program iterations in the spring and fall 2017 semesters presented a significant development in digital literacy. However, students enrolled in the spring and fall 2018 semesters exhibited non-significant changes in digital literacy. The results of this study further include the following findings: (a) relationships between the BTPII learning activities and digital literacy changes differed by semester, (b) impacts of students’ multiple engagements on the difference in digital literacy changes and final performance varied by semester, and (c) students’ daily Internet access time and Internet usage purposes did not significantly impact DL changes and final performance.
Academic and social influences of underrepresented adolescents' perceptions of opportunity and plans for the future
(2016-08) Kyte, Sarah Blanchard; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Callahan, Rebecca M; Crosnoe, Robert; Muller, Chandra; Raley, Kelly
Sociologists of education have long stressed the importance of students’ expectations for their subsequent success. Yet, an insufficient amount of previous work has considered how academic and social psychological factors guide when and how students develop their expectations for the future, particularly for the socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority students attending our cities’ schools. By using rich survey and administrative data from a large, urban district serving low income and predominantly Hispanic and African American students, this dissertation identifies how these students develop expectations related to higher education in general as well as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in particular at the start of high school. Chapter 2 examines whether Hispanic girls hold higher college expectations than Hispanic boys because they acquire a superior toolkit of academic resources including achievement, attitudes, and relationships, and/or whether girls are better able to leverage these resources. Further, it considers the potentially gendered role of nativity, language-minority, and socioeconomic status in shaping college expectations among Hispanic students. Chapter 3 analyzes how students’ perceptions of the relevance of science outside of school contribute to gender differences in expectations to major in specific areas of STEM, namely the biological and physical sciences as compared with computer science and engineering. Chapter 4 unpacks the extent to which minority students expecting to major in STEM anticipate that gender- or race-based discrimination may act as a barrier to their goals. Taken together, the findings of these studies underscore the importance of perceptions related to schools, society, and opportunity at the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity for guiding students’ expectations, an important precursor to subsequent behavior and success.
An early intervention to reduce the risk for dropping out of high school : a case study of a large urban Title I school district
(2017-05) Washington, Cherie Veronda; Olivárez, Rubén; Reyes, Pedro; Cantu, Norma; Johnson, Melody; Linares, Particia
NCLB and now the more recent ESSA law hold school districts responsible for graduation rates, passing state mandated assessments and dropout prevention. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to examine the effectiveness of a system wide middle school intervention program that addressed the educational needs of struggling students. It was also conducted to identify school instructional policies and procedures, curriculum frameworks, ongoing assessments, and planning and decision making structures aimed to accelerate the academic performance of overage students. Data from the school district’s student management system was collected to analyze Research Question 1: What impact on student attendance and academic performance will the intervention have on participating overage middle school students compared to overage middle school students not receiving the interventions? Thirteen school district employees were interviewed and responded to Research Question 2: What are the central office and school based stakeholder’s perceptions of the overall effectiveness of the system-wide intervention program? The study found that students in the overage pilot had better attendance, higher grades in Math and ELA and performed better on the STARR, the Texas state mandated assessment, then overage students who were not in the pilot. The four themes that emerged from the stakeholders’ perceptions of the overall all effectiveness of the system wide intervention program were the Need for a Differentiated Program Model, a Need for Early Intervention, Perception of the Web-based Curriculum as Effective, and a Need for A Systemic Process to Identify and Track Overage Students. Contributions to the success of students in the intervention were also impacted by principal leadership and focus, program expectations for student work, scheduling and implementation of the programs, teacher certification and training and mentor incentives and motivation.
Challenges to the implementation of scientifically based research in general and special education practice
(2013-12) Bach, Mary Beth; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires the use of scientifically based research (SBR) to guide the selection of appropriate educational interventions. Although NCLB does not stipulate the use of scientifically based research specific to special education, its provisions influence the education of all children. The implementation of scientifically based research is complex and relies on the knowledge and beliefs of practitioners in general and special education. In order to utilize scientifically based research, there is a need to know the level of knowledge and attitudes of practitioners relative to scientifically based research. This study examines the relationship between practitioners' beliefs and actions taken when implementing scientifically based research. The theoretical framework of Argyris and Schön (1974) provides a conceptual framework for the interpretation of the data. Connections between scientifically based research, school leadership, practitioners, and students, including those with disabilities, are also examined. Information and results extracted from survey responses of 403 middle school teachers from a large, urban school district in Texas shed light on how knowledge and beliefs can influence the understanding and the implementation of scientifically based interventions. The results indicate that teachers are somewhat knowledgeable about scientifically based research and interventions. However, their responses to three open-ended questions provide increased insight into their actual knowledge and understanding. The results indicate that initially teachers are in need of more knowledge about scientifically based research and what constitutes quality research. Their responses also indicate that teachers are lacking concise information that would help them understand what makes an effective scientifically based intervention. Teachers could through college or university classes be better prepared to use scientifically based interventions in the classroom. In the classroom, teachers need administrative support, continuous mentoring and coaching, and effective professional development in order to implement interventions with fidelity. Both general and special education teachers need increased knowledge to use scientifically based interventions effectively to increase student learning.
Critical atttributes of interdisciplinary teaming in the middle school : current practice in an urban school district in Texas
(2013-05) Hoyer, Randy Reuben; Olivárez, Rubén
This study identified perceived structural and instructional critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming at the middle school. Through interviews with principals and teachers, data was collected on critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming in areas such as the formation of teams and the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming as a process with specific functions, both structural and instructional in nature. The critical attributes identified in this study were associated with the results from two earlier studies on interdisciplinary teaming conducted by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993). Additionally, this study gathered data from participants on the perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. Using purposeful sampling, principals and teacher participants were selected from a school district located in a metropolitan city in Texas. There were a total of 13 middle schools in the school district and five schools were selected for participation in the study. From the five middle schools, ten participants were surveyed and interviewed for this study; five principals and five teachers. The researcher conducted interviews over the telephone with each of the participants. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming, identified earlier by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993), were generally associated with results from the current research. The critical attributes were developed from the following categories: Team characteristics, team membership, team planning time, and curriculum design practices. The second part of the study described perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. In general, participants identified more benefits than challenges. Specifically, participants found interdisciplinary teaming to be beneficial in the areas of relationships, instruction, and parent communication. Challenges in the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming were described by both groups of participants. Implications for school officials who are trying to maintain interdisciplinary teaming in the face of budgetary constraints will necessitate a balanced look at effectiveness and efficiency. Further inquiry into an important relationship between interdisciplinary teaming and student achievement is also necessary. This study identified perceived structural and instructional critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming at the middle school. Through interviews with principals and teachers, data was collected on critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming in areas such as the formation of teams and the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming as a process with specific functions, both structural and instructional in nature. The critical attributes identified in this study were associated with the results from two earlier studies on interdisciplinary teaming conducted by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993). Additionally, this study gathered data from participants on the perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. Using purposeful sampling, principals and teacher participants were selected from a school district located in a metropolitan city in Texas. There were a total of 13 middle schools in the school district and five schools were selected for participation in the study. From the five middle schools, ten participants were surveyed and interviewed for this study; five principals and five teachers. The researcher conducted interviews over the telephone with each of the participants. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that critical attributes of interdisciplinary teaming, identified earlier by Hackmann et al. (2002) and Valentine et al. (1993), were generally associated with results from the current research. The critical attributes were developed from the following categories: Team characteristics, team membership, team planning time, and curriculum design practices. The second part of the study described perceived benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary teaming. In general, participants identified more benefits than challenges. Specifically, participants found interdisciplinary teaming to be beneficial in the areas of relationships, instruction, and parent communication. Challenges in the implementation of interdisciplinary teaming were described by both groups of participants. Implications for school officials who are trying to maintain interdisciplinary teaming in the face of budgetary constraints will necessitate a balanced look at effectiveness and efficiency. Further inquiry into an important relationship between interdisciplinary teaming and student achievement is also necessary.
Direct observations of in-school food and beverage promotion : advances in measures and prevalence differences at the school-level
(2013-08) Latimer, Lara Adrienne; Pasch, Keryn E.
Previous research shows that food/beverage promotions are prevalent in traditional channels, such as television, and that children's exposure to these promotions may be associated with dietary- and weight-related outcomes. However, little research has been conducted on in-school food/beverage promotions, despite evidence that promotions are present in schools and that similar associations between students' exposure to promotions and weight-related outcomes may exist. In an attempt to better understand in-school food/beverage promotions, the current study was undertaken. Specifically, the reliability of a new electronic tool to document direct observations of in-school food/beverage promotions was examined. Direct observation data, using the new tool, were collected in 30 middle schools in central Texas, and a new coding system was developed to categorize and quantify these data. Analyses were run to examine percent agreement between records for intra- and inter-rater reliability. Analyses were also run to assess percent agreement between coded records in order to examine inter-rater reliability for the new coding system. Descriptive analyses on direct observation data were conducted in order to further examine the types and prevalence of food/beverage promotions. T-tests were run to examine variations in food/beverage promotions by school-level differences including economic disadvantage and percent minority. Overall, sufficient intra- and inter-rater reliability was established for the new electronic data collection tool. Sufficient inter-rater reliability was found for the new coding system. Direct observation data showed that food and beverage promotions are prevalent in central Texas middle schools, particularly those displaying nutrition education messages, commercial products, brand logos, and unhealthier food/beverage items. Additionally, a higher prevalence of food and beverage promotions, especially for less healthy products, and those displaying commercial brands and visible logos, were found to vary by school-level differences. Specifically, lower economically disadvantaged and lower percent minority schools had significantly higher levels of these types of promotions, as compared to higher economically disadvantaged and higher percent minority schools. Future studies should further examine prevalence of and school-level differences regarding in-school food/beverage promotions, and if these promotions are associated with dietary- and weight-related outcomes. Results may inform stricter policies regarding in-school food/beverage advertising aimed at youth.
Doing STEM : students’ participation and experiences in argument-driven engineering
(2021-08-02) Baze, Christina Lee; Sampson, Victor, 1974-; González-Howard, María; Crawford, Richard; Keating, Xiaofen
Recent trends in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education have shifted the focus of education onto practice-based learning. Specifically, A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council [NRC], 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) encourage opportunities for students to engage in science and engineering practices (SEPs) with the goal of more meaningful participation and engagement in authentic STEM experiences for all students. Importantly, this includes the integration of engineering into K–12 science education to increase equitable access to engineering (Committee on Integrated STEM Education, National Academy of Engineering [NAE], & NRC, 2014), especially for students from historically excluded groups such as girls and students of color (Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development, 2000; Geisinger & Raj Raman, 2013). This dissertation consists of three studies that explore the engagement and experiences of middle school students as they participate in Argument-Driven Engineering (ADE; Baze et al., 2018; Hutner et al., 2019), an instructional framework for integrating engineering into science curricula, with a focus on feminism and the unique experiences of girls. The first two studies are qualitative explorations into the epistemic criteria that student groups use when designing solutions to problems and student groups’ enactment of epistemic agency. My findings between these studies suggest that students take up meaningful roles for building knowledge and designing solutions and possess nascent epistemic abilities, and that equitable participation and shared epistemic agency was guided by the intentional effort of girls. The third study is a mixed-methods analysis of students’ engineering identities over a school year and the salient experiences which influence engineering identity. My findings suggest that authentic engineering experiences positively affect engineering identity but increasing the engineering experiences students have in school is not enough to close the gendered identity gap. Together, this work has implications around the implementation of ADE and other integrated STEM instruction, in particular, that engineering instruction should explicitly address real-world issues of social and environmental justice in order to support the engineering work of all students (e.g., Godwin & Potvin, 2015; NAE, 2008).
The effect of ecological factors on school engagement
(2013-08) Pettit, Sarah Michelle; Carlson, Cindy I., 1949-
School engagement is associated with higher achievement and lower school drop- out rates. Teacher, peer, and parent relationships are critical in the development of school engagement. However, most researchers have looked at the effects of these relationships on school engagement in isolation. Also, few studies have looked at how the impact of these relationships on school engagement may vary as the result of school attended, age, gender, and race. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the growing body of research exploring the mechanisms that underlie the socio-emotional antecedents of school engagement. A theoretical framework for the examination of school engagement as an assessment of how well family, teacher, and peer relationships are meeting students' needs drew from Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model and Catalano and Hawkins (1996) social development model. Latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze an archival data set that included 2,217 students in grades 6 through 8 attending three public middle schools in Texas. Results indicated that reported levels of school engagement were explained primarily by peer and teacher relationships. Family context played an indirect role on school engagement, via its influence on peer and teacher relationships. Grade, gender, and race also impacted how relational factors influenced school engagement. Results highlight the importance of positive relationships with family, peers, and teachers, in increasing the development of school engagement. Results also highlight taking into account the unique needs of the student based on his or her age, gender, and ethnic background when designing interventions for school engagement.
English language learners learning strategies’ in the classroom : a multiple case study of adolescent newcomers in a middle school
(2019-12) Steinbach, Elizabeth Marie; Worthy, Jo; Palmer, Debra K., 1969-; Schallert, Diane; Kelm, Orlando
This study was designed as a qualitative case study focusing on four Hispanic, newcomer, adolescent students enrolled in a Title 1 middle-school (grades 6-8) in a metropolitan area of Texas. The data collected for this study include a) pre- and poststudy semi-structured interviews, b) student artifacts, c) classroom observations, and d) participant-observer designed lessons. The data were coded by employing constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and analyzed using inductive analysis. Findings revealed when ELL students are able to use technology and collaborate, they employ a variety of dynamic learning strategies. Additionally, learning is enhanced when teachers encourage L1 to support English learning, have integrated content and language classes, and support collaborative learning. Implications for pedagogy and policy will be discussed
Envisioning a sociocultural digital reading curriculum : exploring teachers' collaborative professional learning online
(2022-02-25) Nash, Brady Lee; Skerrett, Allison; Kim, Grace MyHyun; Mosley Wetzel, Melissa; Schallert, Diane L; Coiro, Julie
This dissertation study examines the experiences of five middle school English language arts teachers as they engaged in inquiry-based, online professional learning (PL) over the course of one semester. Their purpose in this PL was to develop understandings of online reading and to create curricular materials about online reading for their middle school English language arts classes. The participants came to this project with experience teaching English and literacy from a sociocultural, workshop-based tradition, and the expectation at the outset of the PL was that teachers would draw both from their own pedagogical knowledge as well as from new knowledge gained during the PL as they designed curriculum. The PL was collaboratively designed by the researcher and the team’s instructional coach; within the original design, participants were afforded a great deal of flexibility in determining the direction of their learning within the parameters of the shared topic and goals, and opportunities to facilitate PL activities themselves. Findings focus on (a) how participants learned during the semester, (b) the ideas about online reading they developed, and (c) the curricular approach and materials they constructed.
ESL teachers' perspectives on methods and practices of supporting struggling learners and identifying a possible disability
(2016-05) Philpott, Anna Jura Mary; Toste, Jessica; Ainslie, Ricardo; Linan-Thompson, Sylvia
Efforts to implement the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework in middle schools are increasing. Concurrently the number of English Learners (ELs) enrolled in middle schools is growing rapidly, yet little research exists regarding efficacy of the RTI framework for ELs at the middle school level. This study used qualitative focus group methodology to explore middle school English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers’ perceptions of effective instruction and interventions for ELs and to gain insight into their experiences of referring a struggling student to special education services. Specifically, three research questions are addressed: (1) In districts with at least 25% EL populations, how do ESL teachers currently respond to struggling ELs who may need special education services?; (2) What barriers exist that make it difficult to provide support for these students?; and (3) What critical success factors can be distilled from the experience of ESL teachers interviewed? Themes discussed include the challenge of distinguishing struggles related to limited English proficiency from a possible learning disability, the need for more structure and guidance within the RTI process, and support provided by district ESL departments. Implications of these findings are discussed and direction for future research is stated.
Examining augmented reality in middle schools through a review of studies on augmented reality in education
(2020-05) Hong, Daeun; Hughes, Joan E.
Although augmented reality (AR) is considered a promising technology in the field of education, many educators are still having trouble distinguishing between AR and virtual reality. Therefore, this report aims to present and refine the understanding of AR technology in middle school-level education based on existing studies published in the last three years. A total of eighteen academic journal articles were reviewed to obtain a comprehensive view of the definitions, types, features, advantages, limitations, and integration methods of AR in middle schools. According to Azuma (1997), AR is a technology that enhances one’s sense of reality by enabling the coexistence and simultaneous interaction of digital information and the real world. The most commonly used types of AR today are marker/vision-based and location-based. Based on the reviewed studies, eight features, five advantages, and six limitations of AR technology are identified. In addition, the ways in which AR technology has been integrated into middle school classrooms are described.
Exploring protective factors in school and home contexts for economically disadvantaged students in the middle school
(2012-05) Okilwa, Nathern S. A.; Holme, Jennifer Jellison; Reyes, Pedro; Yates, James; Saenz, Victor; Crosnoe, Robert
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of middle school students particularly focusing on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students. Existing data show that there is an increasing cohort of school children experiencing poverty, either short or long term. For poor middle school students, the risk for school failure is amplified by the general risks associated with middle school transition and early adolescence development. The cumulative nature of these risks is often associated with undesirable school outcomes including grade retention, behavior problems, absenteeism, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, fewer years of schooling, and lower academic achievement. However, there is evidence that some students succeed in spite of adversity, which is often attributed to protective factors present in the students’ own immediate environment – school, home, and community. This current study, therefore, examined the relationship between two potential protective factors–parent involvement and school belonging–and student achievement. Previous research has established that parent involvement and school belonging are both associated with positive school outcomes including academic motivation, self-efficacy, internal locus of control, pro-social and on-task behavior, school engagement, educational aspirations and expectations, and better academic achievement. Consequently, this study examined three main questions: (a) How is parental involvement associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (b) How school belonging associated with academic achievement for economically disadvantaged eighth grade students? (c) Do the relations between parent involvement, school belonging, and eighth grade achievement vary as a function of prior achievement and middle school? To answer these research questions, this study used the nationally representative longitudinal data from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten (ECLS-K) Class of 1998/99. The findings for this study showed that when parent involvement and school belonging were considered together, the association between parent involvement and student achievement diminished while school belonging consistently emerged as a significant predictor of achievement. However, while school belonging emerged as a significant predictor of achievement, this study established that students’ prior achievement was the single strong and significant factor explaining achievement for poor eighth grade students.
How district leaders and middle school principals use Title I funds at the campus level : a study of the ongoing planning and decision-making process by educational leaders at the district/campus level
(2021-01-21) Ward, Kermit Demetrius; Olivárez, Rubén; Somers , Patricia; Pringle , Pat; DeMatthews , David
The purpose of this research was to conduct a comparative case study that illuminates the aspects of planning and decision making between two high performing and two low performing middle schools serving similar student populations within two separate school districts. Each district was represented by two high performing and two low performing Title I middle schools. Decisions for campus expenditures of Title I funding rests almost solely with the campus principal, even though their training and professional development for budget development, management, and best practices in using Title I money is regarded as minimal or nonexistent. Middle school settings were chosen as the focus of this exploratory study due the importance of the middle school experience in preparing secondary students for the rigors of high school. Four major research questions were developed as follows because they represent the domains of spending available to middle school principals throughout the fiscal and academic year: (a) What is the ongoing planning and decision-making process for the allocation, distribution, and utilization of Title I funds for the high-performing middle schools? (b) What is the ongoing planning and decision-making process for the allocation, distribution, and utilization of Title I funds for the low-performing middle schools? (c) What ongoing middle school planning and decision-making processes for the allocation, distribution, and utilization of Title I funds are shared between the low-performing and high-performing middle schools? (d) What differences exist in the ongoing planning and decision-making process for the allocation, distribution, and utilization of Title I funds between low-performing and high-performing middle schools? The design was a basic comparative case study to allow for exploring the experiences of principals using Title I funds at middle schools that were meeting the state’s academic standards with an accountability grade of at least a B and middle schools that were not meeting the state’s academic standards with an accountability grade of F. Two major sources of information were the district- and campus-level improvement plans and the perceptions of the two districts’ Title I coordinators as well as the four middle school campus principals. Two low performing middle school principals and two high performing middle school principals were interviewed. Additionally, the Title I coordinators for the districts at which the selected case middle schools were interviewed. The middle schools met the inclusion criteria satisfying the contextual and academic performance conditions in accordance with the four research questions guiding the study. A total of nine themes emerged in the findings: Theme 1: The allocation process is considered a quick and simple process where the word threshold is not widely used in District A. Theme 2: Choosing to allow the natural and authentic campus data to be the leading guide creates funding allocation consistency in District A. Theme 3: The Title I coordinator’s choice of the Title I qualifying cut point has a profound impact on all campuses’ allocations in District B. Theme 4: Consistency from year to year is preferred but is difficult to achieve in District B. Theme 5: Redundancy of information is necessary within the annual Title I meeting. Theme 6: Similarities in the items and agendas discussed at the annual meeting. Theme 7: The need for ongoing support throughout the year. Theme 8: District size and diversity district affects efficiency. Theme 9: The timing of the annual Title I meeting affects campus planning and efficiency. This research clearly demonstrated the advantages for Title I allocations that exist in a smaller district, such as District A, and need to be replicated in large school districts such as District B. Several implications for practice and recommendations for future study that originated from this study are made in Chapter 5.
Interface design of educational games for middle school students
(2016-05) Cancelosi, Caroline Randolph; Liu, Min, Ed. D.; Lucas, Horton R
The purpose of this report is to identify interface design elements in educational games for a middle school audience. The four games in this report were selected based on their availability to the general public and their reputable developers. The purpose in undertaking this research is to determine interface and interaction conventions in educational games for 11-14 year olds in order to make recommendations to designers and developers. This report identifies the ways each game approaches important features such as art direction, providing feedback, portraying significant events, indicating clickable items, and event timing. It discusses the games’ techniques to guide gameplay. This report also addresses how interface design supports pedagogical goals.
Life in the middle : exploring identity and culture in an urban middle school
(2013-08) Alarcón, Jeanette Driscoll; De Lissovoy, Noah, 1968-
My dissertation study is two-year interdisciplinary project that combined case study and oral history methods to craft the life history of West Middle School. The goal of this project is to gain knowledge of how a school's identity, image and culture are shaped by outside forces such as education policy and demographic shifts over time. To this end, I ask teacher participants to narrate the life history of West Middle School, while paying particular attention to shifts in educational policy, to a changing student population and to citizenship education. The aim of exploring these issues is to present a holistic view of schooling. My theoretical framework draws upon the theories of figured worlds, hidden curriculum and social reproduction as entry points for understanding the complex world of West Middle School. I use case study methods such as observation along with oral history interviews and archival data to construct West's life history. The data sources include teacher interviews, an extensive yearbook archive, district school board meeting minutes, and school district boundary maps. The findings of the study are presented in two chapters. Chapter five presents key themes from the teachers' interviews describing the cultural environment and public image of West Middle School. Teachers characterize the school's image and reputation in terms of exceptionalism and the school's identity in terms of family and guardianship. Chapter six discusses citizenship education at West. The main themes in this chapter draw attention to teachers' understanding of good citizenship in pointed terms of respect, responsibility and civic duty. Central conclusions include a nuanced understanding of contradictions within the West Middle School community, the ways in which diversity is simultaneously valued and assimilated, and the ways in which West's positive reputation acts as social and cultural capital. Implications for teacher education include creating spaces where pre-service teachers can engage in deeper learning about school communities and coming to see teaching as a political rather than passive act. Finally, implications for research call for expanding methodological frameworks to include bending and combining methods toward gaining a rich understanding of the complexities of schools.
The literacy ecology of a middle school classroom : teaching and writing amid influence and tension
(2013-08) David, Ann Dubay; Bomer, Randy; Skerrett, Allison
This embedded case study of an eighth-grade English language arts reading classroom employed an ecological perspective based on Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to examine the ways in which a myriad influences, often conflicting and originating in a variety of settings external to the classroom, intersected in that classroom. The findings from this research point toward the reality of literacy classrooms buffeted by conflicting Discourses around writing that originate in official school structures, as well as the difficulty students and teachers have navigating the tensions created by those conflicts. The focal teacher for this study, a master teacher, navigated these conflicting discourses by being thoughtfully adaptive and balancing policy mandates with her own knowledge of and beliefs about literacy instruction, though she often made instructional decisions at odds with her knowledge and beliefs because she feared lack of compliance with administrative or district mandates risked her job. In this contested atmosphere, the teacher supported students in navigating the myriad literacy practices within the classroom, and the literacy practices from their lives outside of school, using writer's notebooks. These notebooks served as boundary objects because they incorporated a variety of influences and Discourses in a single tool. Even in creating a robust literacy ecology in her classroom through the use of writer's notebooks, thoughtfully adapting to the myriad policy mandates, and having departmental and professional support for her work, she left the school at the end of the year because she could not be the type of teacher she wanted to be in that school. The broader implication of her decision, and the research more generally, is that classrooms are not isolated from the settings within which they are embedded, and those settings often influence the classroom in ways that conflict and create tensions. Teachers and students, then, must make decisions about how to navigate those tensions, often at odds with their knowledge or beliefs. These conflicts and tensions within a classroom can be reduced, or mitigated through communicating, building trust, working toward consensus, and avoiding exercises of power.
Middle school transition : the role of timing and school characteristics
(2010-12) Holas, Igor; Huston, Aletha C.; Crosnoe, Robert L.; Kim, Su Yeong
Achievement and school involvement of children in middle schools in 5th and 6th grades are compared to those of same-grade peers in elementary schools. Both classroom quality and school structure (size and composition) are tested as mediators in a national longitudinal sample of about 900 youth. The results indicate: a) youth in middle schools achieve at least as well as their same-grade peers in elementary schools, but those in middle schools have lower school attachment; b) middle and elementary schools have equivalent classroom quality, but differ in size and student composition; c) the lower school involvement of 6th grade middle school students is attributable to school size; d) the results are similar for boys and girls.
Playing in the middle : the value of the arts in middle level education
(2014-05) Hearn, Lindsay Michelle; Alrutz, Megan
In 2012, the Austin Independent School District implemented a ten-year Creative Learning Initiative to develop every school in the district into an arts rich school. However, research on arts richness presents varied descriptions of what an arts rich school looks like and lacks student voices. This MFA Thesis documents an applied project utilizing an arts based research process to explore student beliefs about the value of the arts and arts richness at the middle school level. In the document, I analyze student beliefs about the value of the arts through modified grounded theory from a data set including a performance, a playscript, group discussions, surveys, and my personal field notes and reflections. I find that the students share a similar understanding with published research of overall categories describing arts richness, including quantity of arts opportunities, quality of artistic and educational programs, and school climate. They deepen the perspective researchers present on school climate in arts rich schools, offering specific ways in which the arts invite a positive school climate. I conclude the document with reflections on defining arts richness, the arts based research process, and areas for further consideration as schools move toward creative learning for the 21st century.
Rethinking teacher retention in New York City middle schools : a focus on retaining the highest-performing teachers through effective school leadership
(2013-05) Bucciero, Marie-Elena; Von Hippel, Paul T.
This report gives an in-depth study of the relationship between effective school leadership and teacher retention. It reviews existing literature that establishes the connection between effective school leadership and lower rates of teacher turnover. The report then attempts to find the relationship among effective school leadership, teacher retention, and student achievement in New York City middle schools. The report also highlights the important processes and strategies that the New York City Department of Education employs in an effort to increase teacher retention. A closer look at The New Teacher Project’s 2012 Report, “The Irreplaceables,” redirects the report to recommend retention efforts that focus on retaining the city’s highest-performing teachers instead of using “blind” retention strategies. In the end, the report summarizes the political climate in New York City between the teachers’ union and the district and recommends four strategies that keep this relationship in mind.