Carolyn Ridenour

Personal Teaching Efficacy: Developmental Relationships in Education

Abstract Using the Personal Teaching Efficacy Scale (Ashton, Olejnik, Crocker, & McAuliffe, 1982), the authors explored the comparative efficacy of six groups of educators with various levels of teaching experience. The efficacy scores were higher for more experienced educators in some instances, whereas in other simulated classroom situations, the preservice students scored higher. We discuss the meanings of the different patterns.

Exemplary Technology Use in Elementary Classrooms

AbstractThis descriptive study identifies and describes how exemplary technology-using teachers in south western Ohio are using technology in their elementary classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies were used. Data gathered from technology coordinators were used to create a questionnaire that was sent to teachers identified as exemplary. The picture that emerges from this study is a classroom that is changing from the traditional classroom to a classroom where a wide variety of teaching techniques are being used. Students use technology predominantly in a tool or constructivist mode. Discrepancies between teacher’s beliefs and practices were examined. Staff-development data were also analyzed.

Gender in Schools: A Qualitative Study of Students in Educational Administration

Students who aspire to become school principals and superintendents must be prepared to lead schools committed to serving boys and girls equitably. In this qualitative study, 122 graduate students in a cultural diversity course maintained journals of their experiences. The authors kept records of teaching the course and of selected written assignments given to the students, according to Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards, which drive reform in school leadership. From analysis of all written materials, themes emerged showing that students (a) grew more aware of gender stereotyping and its limiting effects, (b) sometimes changed their professional practice toward gender fairness, (c) became aware of gender discrimination and power differences on the basis of gender, and (d) developed heightened sensitivities to gender-biased language.

The Impact of Emerging Market-based Public Policy on Urban Schools and a Democratic Society.

Education is being transformed at a rapid pace because of a variety of political and social forces. One of those forces is an increased emphasis on market-based policy and practice. School reform advocates in general and political conservatives in particular see the market approach as one that can and will positively affect educational practices. Ridenour, Lasley, and Bainbridge examine the efficacy of the market approach as it has been evidenced in the development of charter schools and choice options. The authors conclude that the rate of change needs to be managed to protect students and that strategic partnerships must be created to ensure more collaboration between those with conflicting views. Whereas business benefits from competition, education requires a type of “coop-petition” to ensure that all students are provided an adequate education.

Charters: A Value Added Opportunity for Urban Teachers?.

Charters Issued 18/08/2010 Page 1 of 2 Charters Overview Students and parents are required to sign a charter (i.e., either a user or loan charter) governing laptop usage and their responsibilities concerning the device. This charter is updated periodically with new versions. There is an Internal Audit requirement to upload scanned copies of charters signed by students and teachers into a „central location‟.

Market Forces and Strategic Adaptation: The Influence of Private Scholarships on Planning in Urban School Systems

While the current debate about the effects of vouchers focuses on the effects of private schools on achievement, it is also important to examine how the introduction of need-based scholarships influences change in school systems. This study uses a qualitative method to examine the influence of a privately funded scholarship program on strategic adaptations within urban public and private schools in a major metropolitan area. The study revealed that senior administrators in public and private schools rapidly adapted their strategies to contend with the new program: suburban public schools prevented scholarship students from enrolling; urban public schools increased choices for public school students; and private schools actively recruited students. However, the scholarships had little influence on the ways these administrators viewed school choice.

Assessing Study Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities.

tudents with learning disabilities who are integrated into general education classrooms at the secondary school level need effective learning and study skills in order to be successful. They must be prepared to organize, interpret, and comprehend information involving varied subject areas. Further, they must employ individual study approaches that enable them to demonstrate their knowledge on examinations; hence, an expertise in the use of test-taking strategies is also necessary.

School Leadership in a Market Setting: The Influence of Private Scholarships on Educational Leadership in Urban Schools

While the current debate about the effects of vouchers focuses on the effects of private schools on achievement, too little research has examined how the introduction of need-based scholarships influenced change in school systems. This study uses a qualitative method to examine the influence of a privately funded scholarship program on strategic adaptations within urban public and private schools in a major metropolitan area. Interviews with site administrators in public and private schools revealed that public schools hastened movement toward development of distinctive school missions that provided market niches, while private schools that recruited low-income students began to explore ways of adapting curricula and services to meet the learning needs of more diverse students. However, public school administrators were caught in the middle, between the mandates of boards and central administrators and the resistance of teachers and the bureaucratic nature of the education system. This tension impeded their capacity to adapt to the new market-oriented environment.

Preparedness of Principals to Be Faith Leaders of Their Schools

Principals in religiously affiliated schools are called to lead their schools in ways that are grounded in a set of core beliefs and values. This study examines the challenges of leading toward a community of faith grounded in the spirit of major constituencies when one is under-prepared for such leadership. A national sample of lay Catholic high-school principals was queried in order to investigate their reflections on preparedness to be faith leaders of their schools. The strategies they reveal are applicable to private-school principals and to the formal educational programs that prepare them to be faith leaders.