Date of Award

12-2007

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Educational Administration

Department

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

Major Professor

Causey-Konate, Tammie M.

Second Advisor

Thoresen, Amy Claire

Third Advisor

Savoie, Joe

Abstract

School accountability requires administrators and policymakers to implement sound programs that sustain school improvement. Hundreds of Louisiana teachers participate in Louisiana Integration of Technology (INTECH) professional development as a strategy to change instructional practice and improve student achievement. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change and increased student achievement. The study employed a survey and an ex-post facto, causal-comparative design to address the questions: 1) Do middle school administrators perceive the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change? 2) Does the Louisiana INTECH professional development model contribute to increased achievement of sixth and seventh grade students as demonstrated by gains in total mathematics, reading, and language Standard Scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills? Fifty-two middle school administrators completed a Likert-type, 18-item survey entitled Perceptions of Louisiana INTECH Professional Development Survey (Dunham et al., 1989; Klecker & Loadman, 1999). Eight mathematics and ten English Language Arts (ELA)/reading Louisiana INTECH certified teachers were matched with a similar group of non-INTECH certified teachers according the variables of years teaching experience, educational attainment, and school mean achievement as defined by the 2004 Louisiana baseline School Performance Score (SPS). Over two thousand student test scores of the 36 total mathematics, ELA/reading INTECH and non-INTECH teachers were compared for achievement gains. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to calculate descriptive statistics for the survey and student achievement gains from 2004 to 2005. Cronbach's Alpha, Pearson's r, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the survey data according to three constructs. Independent samples t-tests were used to verify equality of INTECH and non-INTECH groups. Crosstabs were utilized to show similarities and differences between the degrees earned by the teachers of each student group. The results of this study suggest administrators who exhibit openness to Louisiana INTECH as an impetus for change are more likely to support implementation of Louisiana INTECH technology integration strategies in the classroom. Furthermore, the achievement data showed increased gains of students in Louisiana INTECH certified teachers’ classrooms.

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The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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