The Feasibility of Implementing Early College Instructional Strategies and Design Principles in Traditional High Schools As a Reform Model
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University Education Dissertations and Projects School of Education 2017 The eF asibility of Implementing Early College Instructional Strategies and Design Principles in Traditional High Schools as a Reform Model Shelia Smith Wyont Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/education_etd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons Recommended Citation Wyont, Shelia Smith, "The eF asibility of Implementing Early College Instructional Strategies and Design Principles in Traditional High Schools as a Reform Model" (2017). Education Dissertations and Projects. 227. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/education_etd/227 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education Dissertations and Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. For more information, please see Copyright and Publishing Info. The Feasibility of Implementing Early College Instructional Strategies and Design Principles in Traditional High Schools as a Reform Model By Sheila Smith Wyont A Dissertation Submitted to the Gardner-Webb University School of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Gardner-Webb University 2017 Approval Page This dissertation was submitted by Sheila Smith Wyont under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Gardner-Webb University School of Education and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Gardner-Webb University. __________________________________ ________________________ Bruce Boyles, Ed.D. Date Committee Chair _________________________________ ________________________ Stephen, Laws, Ed.D. Date Committee Member _________________________________ ________________________ Kim Mattox, Ed.D. Date Committee Member _________________________________ ________________________ Jeffrey Rogers, Ph.D. Date Dean of the Gayle Bolt Price School of Graduate Studies ii Acknowledgements As long as I can remember, I have wanted to earn my doctorate degree. The opportunity came when Dr. Steve Laws, my high school assistant principal, visited me 3 years ago. He encouraged me to join the Gardner-Webb Educational Doctoral Program. Thank you, Dr. Laws, for your continued support throughout this process. Dr. Bruce Boyles, my dissertation chairman, your wisdom and insight have been valuable. Thank you for always challenging me to do more. Dr. Kim Mattox, thank you for encouraging and supporting me. Dr. David Shellman, thank you for helping me analyze my data. Your assistance helped me finish this process and realize that I could accomplish this task. I could not have done this without the support of my entire family. Thank you, Betty and Reggie, my in-laws, for encouraging me over the past 3 years to earn this degree. Thank you, Aunt Anne for your continued support. Thank you, Chris, my brother, for telling me when I earned my master degree, “You’re only one step away from Dr. Wyont.” Thank you, Mama for always believing in me and praying for me. You and Daddy instilled in me a confidence that I could do anything. Thank you, Logan and Paige, my children, for giving me the time to do this and understanding when I had to work. Never forget, you two will always be my proudest accomplishment. Thank you, Bart, my husband and the love of my life. You have always been my biggest fan and cheerleader. Thank you for making me finish this even when I wanted to quit. Without your love, devotion, and encouragement, this would not have been possible. Thanks be to my Lord and Savior who has blessed me beyond measure and given iii me the strength to finish this degree. iv Abstract The Feasibility of the Implementing of Early College Instructional Strategies and Design Principles in Traditional High Schools as a Reform Model. Wyont, Sheila Smith, 2017: Dissertation, Gardner-Webb University, Student School Relationship/School Effectiveness/School Organization/School Turnaround/College Programs Early college high schools were developed as a partnership between school districts and colleges to provide students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma concurrently with an associate’s degree or transferrable college credit at little or no cost. In 2011, North Carolina New Schools implemented the Rural Innovative Initiative with the purpose of expanding college readiness and reducing dropouts by applying early college design principles and strategies into 18 existing traditional high schools in low- wealth districts. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementation of early college principles and strategies into traditional high schools. The study included five traditional high schools that were a part of the Rural Innovative Initiative. The researcher used a mixed-methods approach to conduct this study. Quantitative data were collected including graduation rates, student growth rates, and end-of-course proficiency means for each of the five traditional high schools. Teachers were surveyed to analyze their perspectives of the early college principles. Qualitative data were collected from principal interview responses to a set of predetermined interview questions. The three research questions addressed changes in student achievement data, teacher perspectives of the early college design principles, and principal perspectives of implementation of early college strategies. v Data indicated that the five high schools experienced an increase in graduation rates following implementation of the early college model. Four of the five high schools also had an increase in student growth. The survey and interview data from teachers and principals indicated that the early college design principles were implemented. Findings suggest that early college strategies and design principles can be implemented in traditional high schools as a reform model. vi Table of Contents Page Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem......................................................................................................... 1 The Research Problem ............................................................................................................ 2 Professional Significance of the Problem ............................................................................... 9 Overview of the Methodology............................................................................................... 10 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................... 10 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................... 13 High School Reform Strategies ............................................................................................. 13 College Readiness ................................................................................................................. 20 History of the Early College Model ..................................................................................... 29 Early College Design Principles ........................................................................................... 32 Effectiveness of the Early College Model ............................................................................ 35 Early College as a Reform Model ......................................................................................... 48 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................... 50 Methodology........................................................................................................................... 51 Research Context ................................................................................................................... 51 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 52 Instruments ............................................................................................................................ 54 Procedures and Data Collection ............................................................................................ 56 Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 57 vii Delimitations of the Study .................................................................................................... 59 Limitations of the Study ....................................................................................................... 59 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 60 Chapter 4: Results ................................................................................................................