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  • The Impact of Restorative Practices and Zero-Tolerance Policies on Absenteeism, Suspensions, and Academic Performance on African-American Male Students in a Predominantly Black High School

    Description:
    American high school educators have developed and adopted various disciplinary practices to discourage misconduct among students. Amongst the popular practices are zero-tolerance policies and restorative procedures. Zero-tolerance policies are those whereby student punishment occurs when they violate the code of conduct. Usually, it results in their suspension. Thus, they miss school for a period, which may negatively impact their academic performance. Restorative practices involve using strategies that seek to improve and repair relationships between students or students and staff. They avoid punitive measures that may include suspension, allowing the student not to miss school time. However, studies conducted by education researchers have shown a disparity in the instilling of discipline in schools; African-American students’ punishment is more intense than that of their peers. Examination of the genders of both races separately shows that disparity is even more significant. The punishment of African-American male students, when compared to their peers, is more intense for similar misconduct. These disparities affect academic achievement, the likelihood of graduation, and performance on standardized tests that measure readiness for college and career. Therefore, this study sought to find the impact of restorative practices and zero-tolerance policies on absenteeism, suspensions, and academic performance on African-American male students in a predominantly black high school. The predominantly black high schools in New Jersey have high racial disciplinary gaps compared to other states in the country. Hence, the study analyzed absenteeism, number of suspensions, and academic performance in a high school that had implemented traditional zero-tolerance policies and compared it to a high school that had implemented restorative practices as a disciplinary measure. The schools’ records for the 2018-19 year were the source of data; it included information on students’ standardized test scores, suspensions, absences, and the school’s makeup by gender and race. To keep up with research ethics, the researcher redacted the students’ personal information and obtained permission from the school administration before using the data for the study. The study is quantitative and involved the statistical analysis of the quantifiable data. The researcher also used positivism philosophy in this study to calculate the impact of disciplinary actions. Overall, the data examined was of 456 African-American male students. The school that implemented restorative practices saw marginal signs of improvement in the number of chronically absent students. The restorative practice school also had a higher percentage of students with no suspensions and fewer students with one or more suspensions. Students at the school with traditional zero-tolerance policies had marginal gains with a higher rate of students meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts and Math standardized tests. The study adds to the research on disciplinary actions in American high schools, but researchers can further study the topic to determine if the findings are similar in other states. Researchers can also examine other disciplinary actions such as PBIS to determine if their implementation leads to better academic performance, reduced suspensions, and lower absenteeism rates among African-American male students when compared to peers.
    Keyword:
    Educational evaluation , African American studies, Educational psychology, Educational administration, American, high school educators, Zero-tolerance policies, Restorative practices, discipline, African-American male students, high school, New Jersey, absenteeism, suspensions, academic performance, and test scores
    Subject:
    Education
    Creator:
    Amaya, Eliud
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    12/23/2021
    Date Modified:
    04/04/2024
    Date Created:
    Nov-2020
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation

  • The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership, School Climate, Student Conduct, and Student Attendance in Urban Schools in New Jersey

    Description:
    The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between transformational leadership style, school climate, student conduct, and student attendance in urban elementary schools. Survey data were collected from a purposeful sample of elementary school principals and a convenience sample of their staff members in an urban school district in Northern New Jersey. In 2015–2018, 20 urban schools in northern New Jersey considered “failing schools” were awarded a School Improvement Grant (SIG), supported by the Federal Department of Education (Federal DOE) through the New Jersey Department of Education. With this funding, the urban school district undertook the challenge of the turnaround school model between 2015–2018, which resulted in positive change in student conduct, student attendance, and the school’s climate because of incorporating a transformational leader. This dissertation examines if there are any positive outcomes in student conduct, attendance, and the climate of an urban school when including a transformational leader. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) was used to measure the degree to which a principal displays the factors of a transformational leader based on teacher perceptions, and the principals used it to self-assess. The New Jersey Culture and Climate (NJCCS) survey was used to measure teacher perceptions of school climate, and interviews were conducted to gain insight into staff perceptions of the qualities of a transformational leader. This study also investigated if a relationship exists between transformational leadership and a school climate. The study surveyed 20 urban schools located in a large urban district in New Jersey. Principals’ leadership styles were determined from the MLQ-5X, and school climate was determined from the school district’s (NJCCS) reported number of Office Conduct Reports (OCR) and student attendance data incidents recorded in the district’s data system.
    Keyword:
    Elementary schools , Socioeconomic factors , Higher education administration, Educational administration, Teaching Urban schools , Collaboration, School principals , School environment , Learning, Educational leadership, Office Conduct Reports, attendance rate, school climate, transformational leadership, and elementary school
    Subject:
    Education and Higher Education
    Creator:
    Kennedy, Jasmine C.
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    12/22/2021
    Date Modified:
    03/27/2024
    Date Created:
    2021
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation

  • An Exploration of Academic Advising Practices Within Small Institutions in North Carolina

    Description:
    The sustainability of an institution of higher education lies in its ability to attract and retain students. Young-Jones, Burt, Dixon, and Hawthorne (2013) assert that faculty–student interactions contributed to student success along with other factors. One outside factor that contributed to student success was the role of the advisor in linking students to the institutional culture. O’Banion (2012) reminded us that when students first enter college they are unprepared for making sound decisions about courses, their career, and even their future; therefore, they rely heavily on the guidance they receive from institutional representatives. Advisors are one of the main representatives studied by scholars, as well as the theories and best practices associated with advising. What we lack is a clear understanding of what advising practices are beneficial to students, and how those practices can improve advising. The purpose of this study was to compare the viewpoints of supervisors, advisors and students regarding their knowledge, experiences, and opinions surrounding advising at small institutions in North Carolina. To this end, the research questions were the following: How are advisors addressing academic, career, and interpersonal needs of students at small 4-year public institutions in North Carolina? What advising strategies hindered successful advisement of students at these small institutions in North Carolina? What do the various stakeholders identify as beneficial practices that improve advising on small campuses in North Carolina? Surveys, interviews and open coding procedures were used on two North Carolina institutions. Further research should explore efforts to improve advising in other states and their results on retention.
    Keyword:
    Educational leadership , Educational administration, Higher Education, North Carolina, and Institutional Culture
    Subject:
    Education
    Creator:
    Archer, Janice
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    01/04/2022
    Date Modified:
    02/16/2024
    Date Created:
    2020
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation

  • A Case Study of the Effectiveness of the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Program to Enhance College Readiness of High School Students in the Academic Middle

    Description:
    For years, the educational community has debated the support for students in the upper tier, the middle tier, and the lower tier of ability in schools. This purpose of this study was to explore and analyze the effectiveness of AVID strategies and concepts in closing the achievement gap that exists between students who naturally perform at high levels and students in the academic middle, thus increasing their college and career readiness and leveling the playing field. Improvement was measured by the degree to which AVID strategies and concepts were infused within the AVID curriculum, as well as within the general education curriculum at ABC High School. Improvement was also measured by examining students’ performance on the PSAT and SAT or ACT as instruments of college and career readiness. Last, achievement was measured by examining and tracking college acceptances for students in the AVID program over the course of the four years it has been implemented at ABC High School. After examining the AVID program at ABC High School and the quantitative and qualitative data, the findings that determine the effectiveness of AVID strategies and concepts in closing the achievement gap that exists between students who naturally perform at high levels and students in the academic middle yielded favorable results. The results of this study may be of significant interest to educators who support the achievement of students in the academic middle and are searching for a means to enhance their programming to better prepare students for post-secondary work. The outcomes of this study can also be used as a tool for other educational leaders and inform decisions regarding whether or not the AVID program would be a successful addition to their current academic program.
    Keyword:
    Educational leadership, Educational administration, Advancement via Individual Determination, Enhance College Readiness, AVID strategies, and PSAT, SAT, ACT
    Subject:
    Education
    Creator:
    Toriello, Todd M.
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    12/22/2021
    Date Modified:
    01/31/2024
    Date Created:
    2019
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation

  • Successful Minority Females Who Were Underprivileged First-Generation College Students at Predominantly White Institutions

    Description:
    The federal government and accreditation boards are making colleges accountable for their students’ success by measuring their outcomes. Institutional Research of Colleges must make available on their website their graduate outcomes so the public can easily find that information. Retention is a problem for higher education and especially for first-generation college students (FGCS). They are taking more than four years to graduate from colleges while they are raking a pile of debts. There are some studies about the retention of men only because an institution of higher education always had more male students. But no significant studies are done about women and especially of those who are FGCS of low-income of a minority (LIM) background. The trend is that future college students will be mostly of minority background, and increasingly women. This is qualitative research to interview five FGCS-LIM women. It was truly fortunate that the five participants happened to be diverse with totally different familial, educational, and career backgrounds which enhanced the credibility of the great common motivators that made them successful in their studies. The results of interviews conducted, provided common themes found were certain capitals were inherited from their parents “Capitals from Parents” and other capitals were acquired during their college journey “Capitals from Colleges”. Those capitals promoted and supported their success at their different predominantly White universities. This research provides suggestions to university enrollment administrators to promote the retention of FGCSLIM women.
    Keyword:
    Womens studies , Higher education , Educational administration, Minority , and First-generation College Students
    Subject:
    Education
    Creator:
    Jackson, Marcelle
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    12/22/2021
    Date Modified:
    11/30/2023
    Date Created:
    2020
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation

  • Working-Class Parental Involvement in the Education of Latino Students

    Description:
    The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand working-class parental involvement in the education of Latino secondary students in the U.S. Literature indicates that most Latino parents want their children to enroll in a higher education institution. However, statistics and research show that enrollment rates to a higher educational institution are below average among Latino students. While many factors contribute to Latino students’ success, I considered the level and areas of parental involvement as the main factor in this study. The study focuses on language barriers, cultural differences, socioeconomics, parents’ preparation and understanding of the school system, and family issues among Latino parents. To examine these elements, six Latino parent couples were interviewed. The results of the analysis deepened the understanding of what it means for Latino parents to be involved in the education of their children. The six narratives offered insight into how Latino families connect, develop relationships, communicate, motivate, and perceived parental involvement in their children’s education. Ultimately, this research found that Latino parents felt involved in their children’s education despite the barriers. Although not involved in a traditional way, Latino parents expressed feeling a sense of responsibility to being involved in their children’s education.
    Keyword:
    Individual & family studies , Educational administration, Latin American studies, and Working-class
    Subject:
    Education
    Creator:
    Hercules, Manuel
    Owner:
    skushner@saintpeters.edu
    Publisher:
    Saint Peter's University
    Date Uploaded:
    12/22/2021
    Date Modified:
    11/30/2023
    Date Created:
    2021
    Rights Statement:
    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
    Resource Type:
    Dissertation