Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program for Educational Leaders
Advisor
Carolyn Buckenmaier
Committee Member
Sandra Eidson
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Committee Member
Claudia Santin
Keywords
7th-grade students, academic growth, academic success, attendance, behavioral referrals, child’s program, daily performance, education, intensive mathematics enrichment program, Jericho Christian Academy, learning process, mathematics enrichment, middle schools, orientation program, parental involvement, parents, school-sponsored activities, Stanford 9 Test, student orientation, summer enrichment mathematics program, surveys, transfer students
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to provide mathematics enrichment activities for 7th-grade students who transfer to Jericho Christian Academy (JCA). The students who were continuously enrolled at JCA were outperforming the 7th-grade transfer students on daily performance and on the Stanford 9 Test. The transfer students were having difficulties adjusting to their new environment, expectations, and requirements. Attendance and behavioral referrals were higher for the transfer students than for the continuously enrolled students. The parents of the transfer students were not actively involved in their children’s education.
The writer developed a 4-part intervention to address the areas of concern. The 7th-grade transfer students participated in a 4-week summer enrichment mathematics program, a 3-day summer orientation program, and an intensive 2-semester mathematics enrichment program. The 4th component included parental involvement in which the parents were required to participate in the students’ learning process and attend school-sponsored activities.
Surveys were conducted to gather the students and parents views of the school’s services and programs. Pretests and posttests were administered to determine the academic success of the students. The overall findings demonstrated academic growth for all of the students. Behavioral and attendance concerns decreased. The parents did actively participate in their child’s program.