Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Education

Department

Leadership and Counselor Education

First Advisor

Dennis A. Bunch

Second Advisor

Douglas R. Davis

Third Advisor

Stephen Monroe

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this applied action research study was to close the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged (ED) students and their non-disadvantaged peers (non-Ed) through the implementation of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) system of processes. This study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to answer four core research questions. While the initial implementation of the plan failed to attain the targeted goal of closing the achievement, there were positive indicators for future success. ED students did appear to be effectively engaged with the AVID implementation. This engagement was validated through data about student participation in key AVID strategies, classroom observations, lesson plan analysis, and focus group interviews. Data collected also revealed implementation problems which serve as a basis for recommendations for continuation and improvement of the ongoing AVID implementation. Lastly, data revealed strong reasons to believe the AVID implementation had a positive impact on collaborative organizational capacity toward bettering outcomes for all students.

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