▼ This action research project focused on the K-12 online classroom while examining: 1) Teacher evaluation for facilitating teachers' professional development 2) Examination of the Marzano Causal Teacher Evaluation Model, and 3) Social Constructivism and the interaction between teachers and students as fundamental elements to the learning process. The purpose of this study is to explore, evaluate, and validate the key role teachers play in the facilitation of learning by assessing the effectiveness of the strategies of tracking student progress, student discussion/chunking, and feedback in a K-12 online environment in an effort to identify, evaluate, and promote best teacher practices specifically in online classrooms. This study is a small step toward identifying research-based best practices in an online elementary classroom. This study is most significant for providing baseline data and useful background information for future studies. Advisors/Committee Members: Li, Huey-li.

▼ Current definitions of college and career readiness focus heavily on students' academic achievement. The researcher suggests the need for a clear and comprehensive definition of college and career readiness that all educational stakeholders can aspire to. The researcher offers such a definition, identifying key academic and non-academic factors that foster college and career readiness. Advisors/Committee Members: Li, Huey-li.

▼ The purpose of this research was to investigate the condition of public school arts education programs under the No Child Left Behind Act and gain views and insights on educators’ teaching experiences under the federal policy. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized to conduct a case study of an Ohio public school district. The descriptive data collected for the research revealed changes in the curriculum for arts education, particularly in music. Information obtained from teacher interviews provided context in which the changes occurred, and it was the teacher interviews that brought about a more accurate representation of just how much learning opportunities in the arts had decreased. More specifically, the information illustrated how arts education was threatened by administrative decisions that were being made to improve test scores and accommodate policies mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Specific research questions for this study focused on NCLB’s affect on arts education in the school district. For example, we wanted to know if instructional time for the arts had been affected by the federal policy and whether the district’s curriculum changed under NCLB. We also wanted to know if arts teachers and non arts teachers made adjustments to their classroom practices and if changes in teaching strategies were effective. And finally, we wanted to see if school budgets and spending on arts education had changed since NCLB went into effect in 2002. Advisors/Committee Members: Spickard Prettyman, Sandra.

This paper is about males and the pressure they face to establish and maintain hegemonic masculinity. Advisors/Committee Members: Spickard Prettyman, Sandra.