Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
Burnout in Rural Oregon: Exploring the Perspectives and Experiences of Teachers in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic
(University of Oregon, 2024-12-19) Wilk, Melissa; Alonzo, Julie
This study explored the perspectives and experiences of full-time K-6 teachers in primary schools in rural Oregon during the 2023-2024 academic year to gain a deeper understanding of a common phenomenon, burnout, in a commonly overlooked research setting, rural localities, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The primary researcher utilized an adapted version of The Professional Quality of Life Scale (Pro-QOL-5) (quantitative) to explore the perspectives and experiences of full-time K-6 teachers in rural Oregon during the 2023-2024 academic year to gain a deeper understanding of burnout in rural schools in the wake of the COVID-19. The results of the quantitative exploratory study found no statistical significance of burnout in teachers in Title I and Non-Title schools in rural areas however varying degrees of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress offer a snapshot of teachers' working conditions in rural Oregon in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Open Access
GENDER, POWER, AND EXPERIENCES OF FEMALE INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE MOTHERS IN U.S. INSTITUTIONS
(University of Oregon, 2024-12-19) Krakani, Bernice; McClure, Heather
The unique barriers faced by female international graduate students who are mothers (FIGSMs) affect their general well-being, mental health, and academic achievement, which in turn affect their children’s well-being. The purpose of this study is to identify the gaps in existing research concerning this academic population, analyze the barriers they encounter, and present best practices that U.S. universities can employ to serve these students better. The study uses a qualitative research methodology drawing on semi-structured interviews and a focus group with FIGSMs from colleges in the United States. The results show that many FIGSMs have poor mental health due to interconnected social determinants, such as financial hardship related to immigration restrictions, academic challenges compounded by a lack of access to resources and events by international students with families, and social and cultural isolation exacerbated by large workloads and demanding reproductive labor. Based on FIGSMs’ reconceptualization of gender roles, the dissertation discusses the positive difference that improved university policies, programs, and practices geared toward their reality will make. By tackling the diverse obstacles encountered by FIGSMs, U.S. universities can cultivate a more inclusive and supportive learning environment and better ensure the success of these valuable students.
Open Access
Educator Mindsets and Perceptions of Instructional Technology: Effects from the Year of Emergency Distance Education
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Jurick, Matthew; Alonzo, Julie
The integration of digital technology in public K-12 classrooms has been an evolving topic over the past several decades. As technology services and systems become more ubiquitous in everyday life, their implications for enhancing public education have been increasingly promised with varied results. Up until 2020, the integration of instructional technologies in schools and classrooms has been a gradual, methodical process largely due to teacher apprehensions. When schools closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this once-gradual process became much more sudden for many schools and teachers. This rapid adoption of technology, whether teachers were ready or not, has led to a polarization of teacher mindsets and perceptions regarding technology. Where some teachers have gotten over their apprehensions and now embrace technology more, others are more resistant in response to the side effects of the rapid implementation. This mixed methods study surveyed 24 middle school teachers with two follow-up qualitative methods (an interview and a focus group). Key findings included an increased familiarity with technology, a desire for ongoing professional learning, and concerns of overdependence of technology by students.
Open Access
The Impact of School Board Diversity on the Hiring of Women in the Superintendency
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Harlan, Lisa; Alonzo, Julie
Lisa L. HarlanDoctor of Education in Educational Leadership The Impact of School Board Diversity on the Hiring of Women in the Superintendency Women continue to be underrepresented in the superintendent role in public school systems in the United States. The path to the superintendency requires candidates to pass through a series of gates controlled by school board members. Qualified women seek superintendent jobs and are not passing through the gates at the same rate as men. This quantitative study examined the potential relationship between the race, gender, and level of education of school board members and the gender of the superintendent they hired in an attempt to lend insight into the complex issue of gender disparity at the highest levels of leadership in public education. Over 7,000 active school board members were invited to participate in an electronic survey that collected information about their demographics, their participation in a superintendent hiring process, and attitudinal data about women in leadership. Over 700 responses were recorded. Data were divided into two groups categorized by the gender of the superintendent hired, and a Chi-Square analysis was used to analyze the relationships in gender, race, level of education, and the gender of the superintendent hired. While the study yielded inconclusive results, it reveals insights that contribute to our understanding of the complex factors involved in women achieving the superintendent role. It highlights the absence of key systems and the need for centralized, standardized, longitudinal data to further examine impacts and outcomes. The study unveils potential next steps for administrator associations, state education departments, and communities interested in achieving gender parity in the superintendent role. Keywords: women in the superintendency, gatekeeper theory, gender bias, school board hiring, superintendent hiring process, role of school boards, gender bias in leadership, implicit bias
Open Access
Superintendent Longevity in Oregon
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) McBride, Alisha; Shanley, Lina
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 public school district superintendent turnover rates reached concerning levels in Oregon. This study explored relationships between superintendent longevity and superintendents’ experiences with the school board, experiences in the school district, experiences related to their own health and safety, and experiences related to superintendent professional preparation and support. The study also examined themes between the superintendent performance evaluation and superintendent longevity. Data was collected from superintendents (n = 121) who served in Oregon’s K-12 public schools at any time between the 2019-2020 and 2022-2023 school years. There was a statistically significant relationship between superintendents’ positive experiences with the school board and superintendents’ employment status at the end of the school year in 2022-2023. Post hoc explorations of survey responses revealed challenges related to (a) mental health and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, (b) the role of politics in school districts and influencing board members’ actions, and (c) superintendent preparation programs. Nonetheless, superintendents were supported by state and local organizations and superintendent colleagues, reported positive professional relationships with school board members and employee associations, and felt that decisions made by the school board reflected the school district’s vision and mission. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for superintendent training and recommendations for future research.
Open Access
Recovery High School Student Perseverance: Variables Supporting Sustained Enrollment
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Mann, Anthony; Alonzo, Julie
Substance use disorder (SUD) among adolescents has a significant impact on families and communities. It can lead to criminality, poor school performance, chronic use over a lifetime, high risk behaviors, and even premature death. Recovery from SUD is more than physical abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. Mental health and emotional well-being are also central to recovery. Individuals in recovery from SUD can learn to navigate life’s ups and downs without the physical or emotional craving for using mind-altering substances, living self-directed and fulfilling lives. As an ecological model, Recovery Capital (RC) includes an individual’s social networks as well as the financial and physical resources they have available to aid and bolster them in their recovery (Granfield & Cloud, 1999; White & Cloud, 2008). The Recovery Capital Adolescent Model (RCAM) was introduced by Hennessey et al., (2019) who determined higher levels of certain RCAM elements increase the likelihood of students enrolling in a Recovery High School (RHS) after some form of initial treatment (Hennessy & Finch, 2019). Among other recovery-related outcomes, students who attend an RHS are more likely to be abstinent from substance use than their non-RHS peers after 6+ months attendance (Finch et al., 2018). In this mixed-methods study, I sought to explore potential predictors of sustained RHS attendance among students for 6+ months after enrollment, first by identifying variables of interest within the current RCAM construct (Hennessey et al., 2019) and subsequently by introducing novel constructs for consideration as possible sub-components within the RCAM framework. Prior to this study there was a lack of research analyzing variables that might be associated with, or even predict, an RHS student’s attendance for 6+ months after initial enrollment. This study produced evidence of certain RCAM-related constructs having statistically significant association with ongoing RHS attendance. The four predictor variables in this study included Twelve-Step Recovery (TSR) and three novel constructs, including Educator Rapport and Support (ERS), Peer Support Reciprocity (PSR), and engagement in Ongoing Mental Healthcare (OMH). Qualitative data analysis validated and extended quantitative results. Mixed methods data integration produced evidence that RCAM-related constructs produce emotional responses in students that support them as they progress from initial enrollment through graduation. Keywords: adolescent substance use disorder, recovery capital, adolescent recovery capital model, recovery high school, adolescent recovery outcomes
Open Access
TAG You’re Out! Understanding the Impact of the Termination of a Talented and Gifted Education Program on Families: A Phenomenological Case Study
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Sikora, Brian; Alonzo, Julie
Gifted education programs provide differentiated instruction for advanced students with the goal of challenging students to deepen their learning experience and move them toward their full potential. For many students, however, barriers exist in the system that prevent them from accessing gifted programs. The barriers exist in the referral process, assessment protocols, gifted instruction, as well as larger systemic factors such as state and district funding. The unfunded mandate in gifted education has created the greatest barrier, as many districts are not able to support TAG (talented and gifted) students. In many cases, families and the school districts rely on these programs to provide support when the districts are unable to fund them. However, when budget and funding constraints negatively impact such outside programs, there are very few, if any, options. This study used a phenomenological approach to look closely at the closing of one such outside program. Sharing the narratives of families impacted by the closure provides an important perspective regarding the need for TAG programming available outside of the school district catchment areas. Interviews with both students and families provide insights into what is most important to families regarding the education of their gifted children. Implications for policymakers and educational leaders are discussed, and design considerations for gifted education programs are shared.
Open Access
Principal Leadership Through Pandemic Recovery: The Influence of Leadership, Self-Efficacy, and Experience on Student Rebound
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) FERRUA, KOURTNEY; Alonzo, Julie
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between principal self-efficacy, principal experience, and pandemic rebound rates to better understand the attributes of school principals who are leading schools at different rates of rebounding following the global pandemic in Oregon. In the 2022-2023 school year ODE used the calculation of Average Gap Score Change to compare student achievement results in English language arts from 2018-2019 to the assessments following the pandemic. This study placed principals into performance groups by this state data. For this study, 327 principals serving in schools with poverty rates of 50% or higher within mid-sized school districts were identified using data from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). All 327 were invited to participate in the study, and 75 principals accepted the invitation. Participants were given a demographic survey and the Principals’ Sense of Efficacy Scale, a tool that measures principals’ beliefs about their leadership using a full-scale score, and three subscales of instructional leadership, moral leadership, and managerial leadership. No statistically significant differences were noted between the performance groups for experience or self-efficacy. These findings reinforce the complexity and dynamic nature of school leadership when studying school administrators and illustrate the need for comprehensive and nuanced approaches to research on leadership and practices. Further research is needed to explore principal leadership in the post-pandemic era of education to identify the characteristics of strong leaders to promote the replication of success.
Open Access
Investigating Content Multidimensionality in a Large-scale Science Assessment: A Mixed Methods Approach
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Malcom, Cassandra; Scalise, Kathleen
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills are increasingly required of students to be successful in higher education and the workforce. Therefore, modeling assessment outcomes accurately, often using more types of student data to get a complete picture of student learning, is increasingly relevant. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is promoted as a summative assessment opportunity that includes a science framework. As with many science assessments, the framework includes Life, Physical, and Earth science, which alone seems to imply multidimensionality, and also there are other sources of dimensionality that seem to be described conceptually in the framework. Using data from the 2015 PISA science assessment, a multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model was fit to see how a multidimensional model operates with the data. Before developing the MIRT model, a qualitative review of the framework for multidimensionality took place and exploratory analyses were implemented for the quantitative data, including a data science technique to explore multidimensionality and some factor analysis techniques. After fitting the MIRT model, it was compared to several unidimensional IRT (UIRT) models to determine the model that explains the most variation. The qualitative analyses generated evidence of multidimensional science content domains in the 2015 PISA science framework, which should require a MIRT model, but quantitative analyses indicate a unidimensional model is more practically significant. Once quantitative results were triangulated with the qualitative review of the framework for multidimensionality, the implications on equity and history of harm with regards to science assessments were discussed. Findings from the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the study were used to generate recommendations for different stakeholders.
Open Access
Combatting Intolerance, Developing Empathy, and Prioritizing Student Choice Through Young Adult Literature
(University of Oregon, 2024-08-07) Bowden, Amy; Alonzo, Julie
Previous research has established relationships between reading fiction and increased empathy levels, an effect amplified by reading young adult fiction and by feeling transported by, or wholly immersed within, one’s reading. Given the established correlation between increased empathy and decreased intolerance levels, reading fiction may decrease intolerance levels as it increases empathy levels; however, a gap in the research exists. This 10-week mixed methods intervention study examined pre- and post-test data in conjunction with analysis of student artifacts produced in five secondary-level language arts classes. Results provide evidence that reading fiction benefits students by increasing their empathy and decreasing their intolerance. Choice in text selection and reading transportation are shown to increase student engagement and improve learning. These results suggest that teachers should prioritize student choice and transportation for deeper learning in the language arts classroom.
Open Access
Effects of Race Matching on Students' Sense of Belonging and Academic Achievement
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Cochrane, Cherice; Alonzo, Julie
Race matching has positive effects on students’ academic achievement and self-rated sense of belonging. However, when most public-school teachers identify as White, race matching is not always possible at the individual level. The present study extends current research to explore the effects of school-level diversity and race matching. Do the benefits of individualized student-teacher race matching extend to all students when the diversity of a school staff more closely matches the student body? Selected students and staff from elementary and high schools in a large public school in Oregon participated in the study. Utilizing a mixed methods design, quantitative academic achievement data and quantitative sense of belonging data were collected for students in grades 4-5, and qualitative data were collected for staff and 18-year-old students in high school. Statistically significant correlations were found between students’ sense of belonging and oral reading fluency scores, and statistically significant differences existed between Latine and White students’ academic scores. Keywords: race matching, sense of belonging, academic achievement, race, schools
Open Access
Teacher Characteristics, Teacher-Student Relationships, and Student Academic Outcomes in Chinese Junior High Schools
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Zhang, Congli; Liebowitz, David
Experimental evidence of the effects of teacher characteristics and teacher-student relationships on student performance is limited and even more scarce in education contexts outside of the United States. In this dissertation, I implement quasi-experimental research designs in two separate studies to investigate teacher-characteristic effects and teacher-student-relationship effects in the population of Chinese junior high school students. I draw analytic samples from a two-year, student-level, nationally representative dataset and leverage a national trend of random teacher-student assignments to investigate teacher effects on student performance as well as subject-specific self-concept. I estimate teacher effects as the within-school, between-teacher variance components of teachers’ value added to student outcomes over a school year. In my first study, I find that, in China, more years of education or of teaching experience generally does not have a causal impact on student learning. Further, early career (less than three years) teachers consistently outperform their colleagues at the same school. Moreover, I detect some heterogeneity in teacher characteristic effects across subject areas: students benefit from teachers’ graduate-level degree and Education major in Chinese (language arts) but learn less from math teachers who hold a graduate-level degree, with the effect sizes medium to large in magnitude. My second study first adds novel evidence about a national policy initiative in China: assigning a formal advisor role to a core-content teacher. I find that students taught in their content area by their advisor had better relationships with their teacher, and students’ self-concept in language subjects (Chinese, and English as the nationally mandated second language) and their math and English test scores were higher. In Chinese and English, the enhanced relationship between teachers and students caused by being taught by advisor consistently improved students’ performance and the effect sizes were large in magnitude (although the estimates on Chinese score were imprecise). Together, these two articles contribute to the limited teacher effects literature in Chinese education context and importantly, provide implications for what teacher-level factors do or do not contribute to student performance to educators and policymakers worldwide.
Open Access
Nuances of Attrition: A Comparison of Factors Influencing Turnover of BIPOC Teachers and their White Peers
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Swartz, Nazia; Alonzo, Julie
This study examines K-12 public school teacher turnover, with a particular focus on teachers of color. Recruiting and retaining well-qualified teaching staff is a challenge in the United States, where annually roughly 16% of teachers either leave the teaching profession entirely or transfer to a different school. This high rate of turnover is of concern given the relationship between a changing teaching workforce and low student learning outcomes. The literature on factors associated with teachers’ decisions to leave the workforce or change schools, along with the impacts on school districts, schools, and students, is synthesized, and the results of a mixed methods study are presented. Sources of data collected for this study include an online survey administered to 120 teachers in the state of Oregon as well as individual interviews with 15 teachers, and 4 focus groups, in which a total of 25 teachers participated. The survey sample includes 36 BIPOC teachers and 84 White teachers. Interview/focus group samples include 16 BIPOC and 9 White teachers. Quantitative findings from Phase 1 include an analysis of variables of interest- School Connectedness, Administrator Supports, Professional Development, Student Processes, Resources and School Diversity by teacher racial groups and intent to leave. When considering all 120 participating teachers in the online survey sample, those who intended to leave the profession reported a significantly less satisfaction with School Connectedness, Professional Development, Student Processes, and Resources. Teachers who had considered leaving their worksite reported a significantly less satisfaction with Administrator Support, and Professional Development. When comparing the experiences of BIPOC teachers with that of White teachers, BIPOC teachers reported a greater satisfaction with Professional Development compared to their White peers; BIPOC teachers who did not intend to leave their worksite also reported a higher satisfaction with Professional Development. Qualitative analysis of focus groups and individual interviews in Phase 2 provided evidence that for BIPOC teachers, race impacted both their experiences in the workplace and their dissatisfaction influencing their desire to leave their worksite or profession. Recommendations for further study, as well as implications for practice are discussed.
Open Access
Data-Based Decision Making and the SWIS Facilitator Program: Exploring the Realities of Practice
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Cook, Alan; Alonzo, Julie
Collecting data for the purpose of decision making has become an integral part of the landscape of education in the United States over the past decade. Many educators are swamped with such an overwhelming amount of information that it can be difficult to sort and analyze, leaving them floundering under wave after wave of data. The SWIS facilitator role was created to assist school districts with implementation and sustained use of SWIS applications. The facilitator works with schools initially to meet SWIS program readiness and then shifts to more of a coaching role to improve the use of SWIS for data-based decision making. One of the main goals of this study was to examine the differences between the expectation of the SWIS facilitator role as it is envisioned in the PBIS framework and the reality of the role in the field, specifically as it pertains to issues of equity. This exploratory mixed-methods study sought to answer the following research question: How does the ideal concept of the SWIS facilitator role compare with the realities of the actual role for facilitators working in the field? This research will inform facilitator training practices moving forward.
Open Access
The Necessity of Nuance in Education: Exploring the Need for the Explicit Teaching of Soft Skills at the High School Level
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) North, Stephen; Alonzo, Julie
High school students depend on school to provide the skills needed to attend a post-secondary institution or enter the work force directly upon graduation. However, high school curriculum standards may not align with the skillset demanded of the students post-high school. In prioritizing skills by curriculum standards, schools inevitably privilege certain skills and oppress others, creating hierarchies of importance that are predominantly weighted towards “cognitive/hard” skills as opposed to “non-cognitive/soft” skills. Based on post-high school demand from colleges/universities and professional settings, evidence suggests that the K-12 system, and especially the high school level, may benefit from a shift in the prioritization of hard skills towards soft skills. This descriptive study explored the necessity of the explicit teaching of soft skills at the high school level for the employability and subsequent internal promotability of graduating high school students by analyzing the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school teachers alongside the perceptions of employers. The perceptions of individual teacher groups at different levels of the K-12 “education chain” allowed for analysis of some of the possible gaps in current prescribed-curriculum skill alignment. The perceptions of employers allowed for an analysis of skill demand post-high school in comparison to the K-12 prescribed-curriculum. In essence, this study provides a clearer picture as to where there might be possible gaps in curriculum for students that affect their employability after graduation.
Open Access
Suicide Prevention at the Intersection of Health Education, Social Emotional Learning, and Mental Health Literacy in Elementary Education
(University of Oregon, 2024-01-09) Hanson, Erin; Alonzo, Julie
The rates of death by suicide and the prevalence of mental health conditions in children and youth are a world-wide crisis. Education and school health promotion have a key role in supporting children, however initiatives and interventions are siloed and provide supports to only a few students. In this qualitative study with quantitative components, I used a sequential exploratory research design in a three-phase process to explore how promoting a universal approach to mental health literacy (MHL) and social emotional learning (SEL) in the context of health education can bridge the suicide prevention gap that exists in elementary education. Phase one included an artifact analysis of state and district-level data addressing health education, SEL, and MHL. In phase two, I presented the findings from my artifact analysis to a district-level team. They were then asked to provide feedback on adaptations to a district revision of CDC’s Elementary School Health Index (SHI) to better support district and school-level goals (CDC, 2017). The data were collected and shared with the participants through a focus group in phase three, where they continued revising in a collaborative format. The process of adapting the SHI provided insight into how educators perceive the constructs in this study. I selected a purposeful sampling of district-level staff to participate in the survey and focus group. District-level staff were chosen based on their expertise and experience with SEL, mental health, health education, and/or intimate knowledge of student needs. All 20 participants held leadership or support positions in the district. Participants were female and four racial/ethnic groups were represented. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of these topics. There was a general consensus that health education, MHL, and SEL can and should be aligned, but there are many factors to consider along the way to alignment. Participants spoke about professional development, accountability, equity, access, cultural responsiveness, collaboration, responsibility, roles, implementation, systems, and more. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Open Access
Perceived Teacher-Principal Value Consonance and Teacher Commitment: An Exploratory Study of K-12 and English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers' Values, Perceptions of Their Principals’ Values, COVID-19, and Their Impact on Teachers’ Professional Commitment
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26) Staggs, Julie; Biancarosa, Gina
Student achievement and teacher morale have been closely linked to teacher retention and of concern for administrators seeking to promote teacher commitment. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to further concerns about teacher commitment for these administrators. To better understand the underlying reasons behind teacher commitment, the current research explored the correlation between value consonance of an individual, their perception of their principal or supervisor’s values, and commitment to their occupation and organization. This study further sought to illuminate relationships between value consonance and teacher commitment, how relationships between teachers’ value consonance and commitment differ by intention to stay in the occupation and at their current school or organization, to what extent value consonance differs as a function of intent to stay in the teaching profession and the current school or organization, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on values, their perceived supervisors’ values, and commitment to the occupation and current school or organization. This exploratory, quantitative study compared responses from self-reported leavers and stayers, and found that among teachers intending to leave, teachers valuing Autonomy and Job Security more than their supervisor expressed more Continuance Commitment to the Occupation. Moreover, those valuing Colleague Relationships more than their supervisors had stronger Affective Commitment to the Organization. For teachers who intended to stay, however, few or no relationships were found between value consonance and commitment. These results were echoed in teachers' open-ended responses to questions about the impact of the pandemic on their values and commitment where comments showed that both leavers and stayers largely reported similar impacts during COVID.
Open Access
Typology of Oregon Charter High Schools: Differences That Make a Difference
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26) Zeller, Karen; Tindal, Gerald
Two decades after Oregon authorized public charter schools, effects of this policy need evaluation. Comparison of performance of public charter school students to performance of other students is complicated by systematic differences expected between families that choose to leave traditional schools and families that accept default school assignment. Some researchers have used natural experiments in places where charter schools use lotteries to select students. Other researchers have used composite virtual control records as control groups in matched-pairs designs. Results of these studies have shown few statistically significant results, generally of small magnitude; as whole groups, public charter schools and other public schools produce similar results on students’ academic tests. Patterns of dispersion in those studies suggest that isolation of types and comparison within types of charter school could be productive. Moreover, change in Oregon state policy has resulted in fewer public charter school students participating in state testing. Comparison within types using outcomes other than test scores might lead to clearer understanding of the effects of public charter school policy in Oregon. A typology could facilitate productive research. This study produced a descriptive typology of schools through an ideal-type analysis of Oregon public charter schools that serve 9th-12th grades, as the first stage in a concurrent-triangulation mixed-methods study. The second stage included comparison of schools, by type, to changes in Oregon law from 1999-2019 and to school locales identified by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The three types are Innovations in Instruction, founded to attempt innovation in curriculum, instruction, or target student group; Heritage School Conversions; and Facilitated Instruction programs, which include subtypes of Homeschool Support, Virtual, and Early College programs. Comparison to changes in law demonstrated that legislative action enabled emergence of types of schools other than those that dominated in early years of charter school policy. Comparison by locale demonstrated that the array of charter schools in Oregon differs by locale. These differences suggest value in further research comparing effects of schools within types.
Open Access
Examining Educational Opportunities and Outcomes for Students Classified as English Learners
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-26) Porter, Lorna; Umansky, Ilana
Students classified as English learners (EL) are a protected class of students with core legal rights. There are clear opportunities to strengthen education policies and practices to improve opportunities and outcomes for EL-classified students. This dissertation is comprised of three studies examining key issues in EL education with the goal of generating evidence to inform education policymaking that contributes to stronger education systems for EL-classified students. In Chapter II, I examine the extent to which immigrant students who arrive in grades 6-12 and are EL-classified are enrolled in core content coursework, contextualized within interviews on the policies and practices that shape course placement decisions for the student population. I also estimate the impact of participating in a newcomer program, a specialized program that districts and schools may offer, on the probability of enrollment across core content classes. I find that immigrant EL-classified students are under-enrolled in core content in comparison with peers. I find that participation in newcomer programs is not associated with fuller course access, with evidence that newcomer program participation may constrict access to certain core subjects in select years. In Chapter III I estimate the impact of a state-level EL accountability and support policy, House Bill 3499, on district and student outcomes in Oregon. I find that identified districts spent more on EL expenditures per EL-classified student, but there were no meaningful changes overall in the other outcomes examined. In Chapter IV I explore the extent to which variation in instructional effectiveness of teachers responsible for English language arts (ELA) instruction and teachers responsible for English language development (ELD) instruction contributes to differences in students’ English language arts and English language proficiency performance. I find that the variation in instructional effectiveness of both ELA and ELD teachers has implications for EL-classified students’ English language arts and English language proficiency performance. Together, this set of studies provides novel evidence on areas for intervention, as well as impacts of specific interventions, in EL education. Additionally, the body of work provides implications for how this evidence can inform local and state education policy decision-making.
Open Access
Race and Gender Disparities in International Baccalaureate Program Participation in Northwest Public IB Schools and Practices to Increase Participation Equity
(University of Oregon, 2022-10-04) Madden, Taylor; Biancarosa, Gina
This study examined disparities in participation based on race and gender in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) in Oregon and Washington and policies and practices that may lead to representation among underrepresented groups. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between IBDP participation and academic outcomes including graduation and college success. This study synthesized past research on the IBDP as an equity-lever for underserved students, barriers to accessing the IBDP for underrepresented groups, and keys to successful implementation with diverse student populations. A two-phase mixed-methods explanatory design guided this exploration. Phase 1 involved collection and analysis of IB registration and demographic data from across the region. In Phase 2, case studies were conducted in contexts of interest based on the Phase 1 results. Results of Phase 1 suggest a lack of diversity within Oregon and Washington schools offering the IBDP, higher rates of participation among IB students as Course rather than Diploma candidates, and a significant main effect for race and gender, respectively, upon the rates of disparity, but no significant interaction effect between race and gender. Findings in Phase 2 suggest that attitudes and beliefs of staff, flexibility that allows for culturally relevant adaptation of the IB curriculum, and full funding of IB fees may be associated with higher representation for Hispanic/Latinx students. Implications include a need for research on IB access considering race and gender among a larger, more diverse sample. Implications for practice include the potential value of heritage language programs, leveraging affinity groups, and eliminating fees.