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ADDRESSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND DISPROPORTIONALITY THROUGH THE USE OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PRACTICES
Title
ADDRESSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND DISPROPORTIONALITY THROUGH THE USE OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PRACTICES.
Creator
Griner, Angela, Lue Stewart, Martha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Culturally responsive teaching practices in schools and classrooms have been shown to be an effective means of addressing the achievement gap, as well as the disproportionate representation of racially, culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students in programs serving students with special needs. While there has been a recent influx in research discussing these issues, teachers and school staff lack clear examples and tools for best practices that will aid them in addressing the...
Show moreCulturally responsive teaching practices in schools and classrooms have been shown to be an effective means of addressing the achievement gap, as well as the disproportionate representation of racially, culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students in programs serving students with special needs. While there has been a recent influx in research discussing these issues, teachers and school staff lack clear examples and tools for best practices that will aid them in addressing the achievement gap and disproportionality effectively within their schools. Conducted in three phases, this research provides a framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating a culturally responsive tool for schools and school staff in order to impact beliefs and practices related to culturally responsive teaching, leading to the enhanced learning outcomes of all students.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003880, ucf:48759
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003880
THE IMPACT OF TEACHER INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMSON THE LEARNING GAINS OF LOW-PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Title
THE IMPACT OF TEACHER INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMSON THE LEARNING GAINS OF LOW-PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Creator
Miller, Donna, Lue Stewart, Martha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
President Barack Obama committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), yet a few fundamental questions remain unansweredÂÂ--was the federal program effective? Did student test scores improve? Since the late 19th century, teachers have been paid for their classroom services regardless of how wellÂÂ--or poorlyÂÂ--their students performed. Nearly a century later, advocates of education reform continue to...
Show morePresident Barack Obama committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), yet a few fundamental questions remain unansweredÂÂ--was the federal program effective? Did student test scores improve? Since the late 19th century, teachers have been paid for their classroom services regardless of how wellÂÂ--or poorlyÂÂ--their students performed. Nearly a century later, advocates of education reform continue to champion teacher compensation policies that link salary to student achievement. Researchers have identified two motivation theories that must be present in order to have a successful incentive pay program: goal theory and expectancy theory. The presence or absence of these theories, have produced mixed results at both the federal and state levels. Although the Florida Department of Education crafted its own statewide incentive pay plan, three public school districts have received multimillion dollar awards via competitive TIF grants. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if any differences in learning gains existed between the 2008 and 2009 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test® (FCAT®) Math scores among the students of math teachers at one urban Central Florida Title I middle school who participated in TIF when compared to the students of math teachers who did not participate in TIF. The dissertation also analyzed FCAT® Math scores from 2005 through 2009 in one Central Florida school district to determine if any trends existed among the Title I middle schools participating in TIF; if any trends existed among the Title I middle schools that did not participate in TIF; and if any trends existed between the two groups when compared to each other. The literature review and results of this study found that learning gains existed among students whose teachers participated in TIF. In fact, at one urban Central Florida middle school, students of math teachers who did not participate in TIF also demonstrated learning gains. In addition, seven of the ten Title I middle schools from the same Central Florida district had increased FCAT® Math scores with the implementation of the TIF grant along with the three Title I middle school that were not eligible to participate. This research suggested that the teacher incentive program implemented in a Central Florida district had a positive impact on learning gains of low-performing students. The results of the independent-samples tests revealed that there was no statistical difference in the math scores based on participation in TIF. Students of the math teachers who participated in TIF demonstrated at least one yearÂÂ's academic growth. Likewise, the findings were similar for students of teachers who opted not to participate as learning gains increased in this group as well. As a result of these findings, recommendations for further study include end-of-the-year interviews with TIF-eligible teachers whose students had learning gains, but chose not to participate. Suggestions for additional research include surveying teachers whose students had higher scores in the absence of an incentive program, analyzing the test scores of other subject areas, and researching other school districts in Florida that were awarded the TIF grant.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003146, ucf:48632
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003146
An Investigation of the Representation of Middle School English Language Learners (ELLs) in Special Education Programs in a Large Urban School District
Title
An Investigation of the Representation of Middle School English Language Learners (ELLs) in Special Education Programs in a Large Urban School District.
Creator
Lerma, Leah, Stewart, Martha, Biraimah, Karen, Nutta, Joyce, Purmensky, Kerry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The disproportionate representation of ethnically and racially diverse students in special education has been an enduring problem in education for the past four decades. However, most of the research on disproportionality has focused on the ethnic/racial variable; the body of research focusing on the linguistic variable is still slim in comparison. As linguistic diversity in the United States continues to rise, teachers will continue to be challenged to meet the needs of the English Language...
Show moreThe disproportionate representation of ethnically and racially diverse students in special education has been an enduring problem in education for the past four decades. However, most of the research on disproportionality has focused on the ethnic/racial variable; the body of research focusing on the linguistic variable is still slim in comparison. As linguistic diversity in the United States continues to rise, teachers will continue to be challenged to meet the needs of the English Language Learners in their classrooms. However, many teachers feel unprepared to deal with this diversity and have difficulty discriminating whether a student's poor performance is due to linguistic or cognitive factors. Consequently, many English Language Learners are misidentified and misplaced in special education programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the representation of English Language Learners in special education high incidence disability categories in a large, urban school district in Florida. Cross-tabulations and chi-square statistics were used to analyze the distribution of special education students by ethnicity/race, home language, ESOL status, and English proficiency level; risk ratio and relative risk ratio statistics were used to determine whether the district's English Language Learners showed under, equal, or over-representation in special education high incidence disability categories. The results indicated that English Language Learners were at the greatest risk for being identified as Specific Learning Disabled when compared to the other disability categories, and English Language Learners with intermediate English proficiency levels were at a higher risk for being identified and placed in special education high incidence disability categories when compared to beginning and advanced level English Language Learners.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0004127, ucf:49121
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004127
An Anthropological Case Study on the Impact of the "No Zero" Homework Policy on Teacher Culture in Two Central Florida Middle Schools
Title
An Anthropological Case Study on the Impact of the "No Zero" Homework Policy on Teacher Culture in Two Central Florida Middle Schools.
Creator
Bolger, Mary, Howard, Rosalyn, Stewart, Martha, Matejowsky, Ty, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are Federal educational policies that have evoked criticism from teachers and administrators. Both policies extended the federal government's reach into local education by tying federal funds to a school's student growth and teacher effectiveness. With an increasing emphasis on economic mechanisms such as choice and competition, teachers' effectiveness is now determined by standardized and quantifiable measurements. These policies have created a data...
Show moreNo Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are Federal educational policies that have evoked criticism from teachers and administrators. Both policies extended the federal government's reach into local education by tying federal funds to a school's student growth and teacher effectiveness. With an increasing emphasis on economic mechanisms such as choice and competition, teachers' effectiveness is now determined by standardized and quantifiable measurements. These policies have created a data driven and high stakes accountability culture within each school. Teachers are finding themselves in a new balancing act of recording quantifiable yearly progress for all students while trying to work against environmental factors that are out of their control. The rising trend to utilize a (")no zero(") homework policy under these new pressures merits investigation into its role within teacher culture and these current tensions. The recent call for anthropology to re-enter the classroom as a cultural site allows the researcher to provide context to the fluid relationships that often lead to the reproduction of or resistance against dominant ideology. Using the case study method, this ethnography employs the critical theory framework to examine policy impact on teacher culture and gain an understanding for how and why trends such as the (")no zero(") homework become a part of school policy. By looking at a (")school of choice(") and a traditional (")feeder middle school,(") this thesis gives context to how the local trends illuminate larger cultural shifts.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004975, ucf:49596
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004975
The Impact of Timed Versus Untimed Standardized Tests On Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students in Title I Schools
Title
The Impact of Timed Versus Untimed Standardized Tests On Reading Scores Of Third Grade Students in Title I Schools.
Creator
Haniff, Ruthie, Stewart, Martha, Holt, Larry, Platt, Jennifer, Clark, Margaret, Purmensky, Kerry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the performance of Title I third grade students in a central Florida School District differed on tests dministered under timed and untimed conditions. Further examined was the literature on reasons for the achievement gap which centered around seven different themes: (a) standardized testing, (b) achievement gap data and identified factors (c) deficit theory, (d) cultural mismatch theory, (e) extended time accommodations, (f)...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the performance of Title I third grade students in a central Florida School District differed on tests dministered under timed and untimed conditions. Further examined was the literature on reasons for the achievement gap which centered around seven different themes: (a) standardized testing, (b) achievement gap data and identified factors (c) deficit theory, (d) cultural mismatch theory, (e) extended time accommodations, (f) test anxiety and stress, and (g) timed versus untimed tests.Six Title I schools participated in this study by assigning 194 students to take the 2006 Released FCAT Reading Test under either timed or untimed conditions. Although there were no interactions between the covariates and testing conditions, those who were in the free or reduced lunch program or were in exceptional education programs had lower FCAT scores than those who were not. However, when school was included as a moderator, there was a statistically significant interaction between testing conditions and schools on FCAT scores indicating that the relationship between testing conditions and FCAT scores varied for each individual school.A factorial ANCOVA was conducted, and it was found that the mean differences between students who took the timed and untimed 2006 FCAT Reading Test varied from school to school after accounting for the covariates. For two schools, those students who took the untimed tests scored higher than those who took the timed tests. In contrast, those students who took the untimed tests scored lower than those students who took thetimed test for one of the schools. There was no statistically significant difference for three of the schools.A factorial MANCOVA was used to compare reading performance on the 2006 Reading FCAT between the timed and untimed groups on domain specific tests. The relationship between testing condition and FCAT scores for each domain specific test varied depending on the individual school. Therefore, it could not be concluded from these analyses that testing conditions would consistently result in increases or decreases of student performance on standardized domain specific tests.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004381, ucf:49407
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004381