The College of Education

Announces the Final Examination of

Thomas Kristian King

for the degree of

Doctor of Education

March 18, 2016 at 2:00 pm

406 Ball Hall, University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Biographical Sketch

Business Administration (BBA), Business, Delta State University

Business Administration (MBA), Business, Delta State University

Advisory Committee

Trey Martindale, Ed.D, Associate Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership, Committee chair

Deborah Lowther, Ph.D., Professor Chair (Retired), Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Lee Allen, Associate Professor & Interim Chair, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Carmen Weaver, Assistant Professor, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership

Major Field of Study

Instructional Design & Technology

Period of Preparation: 2010 – 2016

Comprehensive Examination Passed: April 2013

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

Abstract

Substitute teachers are brought into a classroom in the absence of the permanent teacher to ensure continuous instruction occurs and students are afforded a safe learning environment (Duggleby & Badali, 2007). Most substitute teachers must immediately ask themselves two questions when they walk into the classroom: “Do I have control?” and “What am I supposed to do?” (Bontempo and Ardeth, 2003). Unfortunately, maintaining instructional continuity is not always possible simply due to the challenges substitute teachers must face in this position as a temporary teacher. The purpose of this study was to create an online orientation course to identify what instructional topics best prepare substitute teacher candidates to enter a K-12 public classroom.

Data were collected from the literature and participants to identify the skills they believed were needed to prepare substitute teachers for the classroom. The data collected guided the development of an online instructional intervention administered to 12 substitute teachers in a rural Mississippi high school. The results of the study aligned with the existing research and identified a need for continuous professional development in classroom management and teaching strategies to further develop and equip quality substitute teachers.

The College of Education

Announces the Final Examination of

Shelly Roush Burr

for the degree of

Doctor of Education

April 1, 2016 at 11:00 am

207 Ball Hall, University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Biographical Sketch

Bachelor of Science, Recreation and Park Management, The Pennsylvania State University

Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education, University of Pittsburgh

Advisory Committee

Celia Rousseau Anderson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Instruction & Curriculum Leadership, Committee chair

Angiline Powell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

Erika Bullock, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

Alistair Windsor, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Major Field of Study

Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

2008 – 2016

Comprehensive Examination Passed: November 2011

Changing for the Common Good

Abstract

The purpose of this single instrumental case study is to understand the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative at Southern Elementary School, an elementary school in an urban area in the mid-south.   This study utilized a conceptual framework developed by Spillane, Reiser, and Reimer (2002).  The following research questions guided the study: (1) What are the individuals’ understandings of the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Mathematics; (2) How do individuals understand their roles in the implementation process of the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Mathematics; and (3) How do individuals understand the school’s role in the implementation process of the Common Core State Standards Initiative for Mathematics?  Data in this study were collected from five participants utilizing observations, interviews, and document analysis.  Although the participants in this study showed initial apprehension towards the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, their comfort level grew over time as they became supportive of the transition toward the Common Core.  One overarching factor that appeared to have assisted in the implementation process at Southern Elementary School was the team approach utilized within the school, which was evident in individual classrooms, professional learning communities, faculty meetings, and between various stakeholders in informal settings.