Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Judith R. Merz
Committee Member
James Davis
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic achievement, academic performance, academic success, achievement gains, achievement rating, classroom environment, data analysis, equal learning opportunities, failure rate, Grade 9 students, high school environment, high school readiness, individualized learning styles, intervention implementation, learning styles, Manheim Central High School, student achievement, student-focused interventions, student improvement, teacher effectiveness, teacher-focused interventions, teaching practices, workshops
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to provide new information for the students and staff at Manheim Central High School. The rate of failure of Grade 9 students increased from the end of the 1998 school year to the end of the 2001 school year. Teachers and administrators did not know how to improve the students’ academic performance level. Therefore, the writer developed strategies to assist both students and teachers at Manheim high school
Approximately 60 students from a class of 289 students or 20.76% of the Grade 9 students at Manheim Central High School failed one or more subjects as a final course grade for the 2000-2001 school year. The purpose of this proposal was to develop and implement a plan to reduce the rate of failure of Grade 9 students.
The probable causes of the problem were: (a) students learn in a variety of ways; there was a lack of teaching practices that foster individualized learning styles; (b) students may slip academically because they were not prepared for the rigors of high school; (c) teachers had preconceived ideas that negatively impacted student achievement.
The proposed interventions were: (a) workshops were made available to the teachers to familiarize them with skills to address and accommodate individual learning styles; (b) students were assisted in becoming acclimated to the rigors of high school and the high school environment; (c) teachers created a classroom environment that allowed for equal learning opportunities and created ways to reward students for their achievements.
The data analysis indicated that the rate of Grade 9 failures was reduced as a result of the implementation. The data also showed that student-focused interventions were more successful than teacher-focused interventions.