Browsing by Author "Drewry, Julie Anne"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Building Level Administrators' Experiences and Perceptions Regarding Preparation for their Role in Teacher Retention: A Basic Qualitative Study
    Renard-Spicer, Lisa (Virginia Tech, 2023-03-07)
    The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe experiences of building-level administrators in one urban school division in Virginia regarding preparation for having a role in retaining teachers and their perceptions of how well prepared they feel for that role. The researcher conducted one-on-one interviews with 15 administrators, representing 21.4% of all administrators in the subject-site division. The study investigated three research questions: (1) What beliefs do building-level administrators have regarding their role in the retention of teachers? (2) What experiences have building-level administrators undergone to prepare them for a role in retaining teachers? and, (3) How well prepared do building-level administrators perceive themselves to be for their role in retaining teachers? The study asked participants to consider principal preparation programs, principal professional development, and on-the-job experiences. Findings indicated that participants believed their role in teacher retention to be important; however, they tended not to have experienced explicit preparation for teacher retention. Though participants reported experiencing some preparation for creating workplace conditions favorable to retention, there was a notable diversity in viewpoint and few workplace conditions listed by participants aligned with those noted in prior research. Participants reported that their preparation had been acquired primarily through on-the-job experiences. Findings indicated that participants did not feel they had been well prepared for a role in teacher retention. This study proposed implications to be considered by those who develop and provide principal preparation and principal professional development, state and local educational agencies, and building-level administrators who seek skills and knowledge that promote the retention of teachers in their buildings.
  • Thumbnail Image
    The Effects of Students' MUSIC Model Perceptions on Their Academic Identification and Achievement
    Snyder, Jennifer Dee (Virginia Tech, 2015-12-18)
    The widespread effects of student failure and dropout have social, judicial, and economic implications. This study addressed factors that can affect students academic identification, an element that can influence dropout among U.S. high school students identified as at-risk. Research indicates that student motivation and academic identification may be linked to improvements in students academic achievement and reductions in dropout rates. The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to address high dropout rates among at-risk, high school students by exploring the extent to which students motivational beliefs in school predicted their academic identification and achievement. Specifically, I explored the extent to which the MUSICSM Model of Academic Motivation Inventory (MUSIC Inventory) produced valid scores among at-risk high school students, and the extent to which students motivational beliefs about school predicted their academic identification and achievement. This quantitative study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) and involved a sample of 100 at-risk students from an alternative high school in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Data were collected via paper surveys, which I administered to students during October, 2015. All survey data were entered into SPSS 23 for analysis. Results indicated that Cronbach's alpha coefficients were low for all MUSIC Model components except for care, which demonstrated modest reliability. Data analysis also indicated that three of the five components of the MUSIC Model " usefulness, success, and caring" were positively associated with academic identification. Thus, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that teachers may be able to have a positive effect on the academic success of at-risk high school students by finding ways to improve students perceptions of usefulness, success, and care. Educational stakeholders can utilize findings from the present study to prompt an exploration of ways to improve these motivational components to promote greater academic success among this student population.
  • Thumbnail Image
    High School Dropout Experiences: A Social Capital Perspective
    Drewry, Julie Anne (Virginia Tech, 2007-02-12)
    The purpose of this study was to record and analyze students' experiences with dropping out of high school within a social capital framework. Discussing the stories of high school dropouts provided valuable information related to the root causes of dropout behaviors in a social capital context. This information can be used to develop programs designed to increase social capital in schools, families, and communities, which can contribute to a decrease in dropout behaviors. This phenomenological study took a narratological research approach that focused on collecting the lived experiences of high school dropouts within a social capital framework. The context of this study was a high school in an urban school division in Southwestern Virginia. The participants were five high school dropouts who speak English as a primary language and were a part of the general education population at the high school. Triangulation of data sources included field notes, interviews with the participants, and archival documents. A three-iteration code mapping procedure was used for data analysis to provide an audit trail. Narrative descriptions of the life histories of each participant were written. The overarching themes resulting from the analysis across the narratives were that none of the students had relationships with members of their families or communities who had the capacity to assist them in their endeavors to complete school; students had the desire to complete school or obtain a GED, but did not have a relationship with any person outside of the school setting who was persistent with encouragement and knowledge; and the students had access to social capital, but did not understand how to use it effectively. Results and conclusions are included in two articles, one written for publication in Sociology of Education, and the other written for publication in Professional School Counseling.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Mount Rogers Combined School: The Experiences and Perspectives of Students and Staff When a Community School Closed
    Delp, Cynthia Dawn (Virginia Tech, 2015-04-23)
    The purpose of the study was to document and examine the experiences and perspectives of students and staff who were affected by the closure of Mount Rogers Combined School in 2010. Mount Rogers Combined School was established in Grayson County, Virginia, by the concerted efforts of volunteers and community members who valued education and considered schooling a top priority for the area. The original four-room school was built of rocks and housed grades 1 through 11, taught by four teachers, one of whom also served as the principal (Grayson County School Board [GCSB], 1993). In 1990, it was the smallest school in the Commonwealth of Virginia (United States Department of Agriculture, 1990). A review of early education in Virginia and early education in Grayson County is documented to place the study in historical context. A brief history of Grayson County is also included in this paper. The qualitative case study documents the experiences and perspectives of the students and staff who went through the school's closure. Both primary and secondary sources were used to complete the study including interviews of students and staff who worked at or attended the school, reviews of official records and documents found in archives, examination of personal manuscripts, inspection of artifacts, and study of general histories. School divisions close and consolidate schools to improve instructional programs for students, offset student enrollment declines, provide adequate facilities for learning, and for economic savings. Communication, developing relationships, transportation, extracurricular activities and course offerings are variables that should be considered when planning a school closure. While transportation and changes in relationships are particular challenges, the overall benefits for former staff members include better access to more resources and professional development opportunities. Former students tend to adapt better than staff members when schools close due to more course offerings and access to a broader range of extracurricular activities. The findings are aligned with the literature that was reviewed for the study.