Secondary course assignment substantially determines a teacher's day-to-day work life, incentivizing them to realize their personal desires, which prior work shows tend to be working with more advanced students. Teachers have varying abilities to enact these desires, potentially due to their political capital, which is largely influenced by…

The problem addressed in this study was that teachers underestimate the benefits of technology usage in grade nine Algebra mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine how the use of a supplemental digital mathematics tool affected achievement scores among grade nine Algebra mathematics students…

The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the implementation of an adaptive web-based learning environment to personalize geometry instruction and practice for high school students at a private school in North Carolina. This study was guided by the following three research questions: How and to what extent does implementing…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the motivation and amotivation to read of 9th-12th grade adolescents in a large semi-urban high school in southwestern North Carolina. The principal theory guiding this study is Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991, 1994, 2000) as it explicates three universal human needs…

The importance of a smooth transition from eighth grade to ninth grade is critical as this transition can have a lasting impact on a student's success or failures beyond high school. Studies in this body of research suggest that ninth grade students lead the list of high school grade students when it comes to tardiness, the number of discipline…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate two alternative programs in a North Carolina and South Carolina (SC) public school district to determine if they are effective in delivering constructive interventions that modify student behavior once students have left the programs and have returned to their regular learning environments. This…

Many African American students have different learning styles than their Caucasian and Asian American counterparts. This distinction makes differentiated instruction a vital teaching strategy, as it allows teachers to tailor curriculum and teaching to meet the needs of individual students, especially those with different learning styles. This…

The purpose of this mixed-design study was to use quantitative and qualitative research to explore the effects of High School Success (a course for at-risk ninth graders) and its effectiveness on student achievement, attendance, and dropout prevention. The research questions address whether there is a significant difference between at-risk ninth…

The purpose of the evaluation was to evaluate two alternative programs in a North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC) public school district to determine if they are effective in delivering constructive interventions that modify student behavior once students have left the programs and have returned to their regular learning environments. This…

This dissertation was designed to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of a Ninth-Grade Transition Program at a Rural High School in Central North Carolina. The ninth grade is a pivotal year that determines which students will prevail and which students will fail to finish high school (Hertzog, 2003). It is essential that schools put in place…

Over the past decade, the nation has seen an increase in high school dropout rates as well as an increased need for a more skilled workforce. The Early College movement in North Carolina was a collaboration between public schools and colleges designed to address these needs. The program immersed child learners beginning in the 9th grade in classes…

The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore the differences, if any, between North Carolina high school principals' and counselors' perceptions of the implementation strategies of their freshmen academies. The results of this study provide additional knowledge to educational administrators, policymakers, and district leaders, as they…

The opportunity and right to obtain a free public education provides the opportunity for all Americans to achieve success socially, financially, and professionally. The public education system has endured decades of changes as it attempts to address social, cultural, and academic issues that arise as the nation evolves. The public education system…