Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Roberta Silfen
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
academic achievement, academic ability, academic failure, academic performance, benchmark writing assessment, class work assignments, credits, English grades, English teachers, first year 9th grade students, functional writing test, grade point average, high school diploma, homework assignments, low achievement, organization skills, parent child relationship, parent participation, parental involvement, parent-teacher conferences, preparatory intervention program, school counselors, self motivation, state functional writing test, study skills, student academic performance, student success skills, teacher effectiveness, teacher influence, weekly homework logs, writing assessment, writing test
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to enhance the academic achievement of first year 9th grade high school students. First year 9th grade students were not achieving academically, did not have organization and study skills, did not complete and/or turn in homework assignments, did not ask questions for fear of being ostracized by their peers, did not receive support from their parents and ultimately did not make the connection between earning credits and receiving a high school diploma.
The writer developed a preparatory intervention program to address the issues associated with students’ academic failure. Counselors facilitated monthly lessons to the targeted group which taught students success skills for high school throughout the year. Counselors and English teachers monitored students weekly homework and class work assignment logs, parent/teacher conferences were held each quarter to enhance parental involvement/awareness of student academic performance, and an in-school enrichment pullout program was designed to assist students with the state functional writing test.
Final data revealed that the three outcomes projected for this applied dissertation were met. By the end of the third quarter grading period 41 students (85.4%) passed the benchmark writing assessment. English grades by the end of the third quarter grading period showed that 39 students (81.2%) were not in danger of failing in the core subject area of English, and 29 students (60.4%) received a grade point average of 2.0 or above during the third quarter grading period.