DEDICATIONThis dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Sherer, whose steadfast support of this pursuit has provided me with the motivation and wherewithal necessary to see its end.The sacrifices of time and effort she has made on my behalf are immeasurable. To my children, Mary Grace and Noah, both of whom I hope are inspired by my love of learning. To my extended family and friends, whose understanding and support have been equally essential.To my mother, whose nurturing and reassurance throughout my life have provided me with the confidence to pursue my dreams. To my father, who, by example, has set the standard for the continuous pursuit of education within my family. Their love of God, country, family, and education has opened doors of opportunity to which I may never had been exposed without their help and guidance.I also wish to acknowledge my colleagues within the Clover School District and Clover High School who have helped me balance the rigors of a doctoral program with the demands of being an effective school principal.Lastly, I would like to thank the members of my doctoral cohort and my professors for maintaining a high level of engagement and excitement throughout this journey.iv
ABSTRACTThis study attempted to determine the impact of poverty, school size, and the presence of a ninth grade transition program (independent variables) upon promotion to tenth grade (dependent variable). Three sets of 10 South Carolina high schools were purposefully selected for the study: one from high, one from medium, and one from low poverty index ranges. Poverty information was gathered from SCDE Poverty Index lists, and school size and tenth grade promotion rate were calculated from enrollment data supplied by the SCDE. A ninth grade transition was defined by identifying eight common transition practices in current literature and sample school principals were then surveyed. Schools that had no less than five of eight practices in place, one of which must be targeted curriculum for at-risk students, were defined as having a transition program.Three multiple regression models were performed to generate a P-value and Partial Eta squared value for each dependent variable. Regression Model 1 included all three independent variables, none of which generated a significant statistic. Because the two continuous variables of poverty and enrollment were negatively correlated with a Pvalue of -.729, subsequent regression models removed one of these variables in an effort to diminish their interaction in Regression Model 1.Regression Model 2 tested the impact of poverty and transition on tenth grade promotion, and poverty was determined to be significant with a P-value of .007 and a v partial Eta squared value of .238. Transition was not significant. Regression Model 3 tested the impact of enrollment and transition on tenth grade promotion, and both variables were found to be not significant.Though poverty was determined to be significant in its impact on promotion to tenth grade, the data on enrollment and ninth grade transition...