Degree Date

5-2023

Document Type

Dissertation - NLU Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Carla Sparks

Abstract

An essential goal of secondary education is to prepare students for college and careers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate teacher and leader perceptions of the extent to which a full-time virtual school prepared high school students for college. The context of this inquiry was a full-time, public virtual high school in the United States. I used a mixed methods methodology, including surveys, interviews, and extant data. I surveyed the school’s teachers and school counselors and gave them the option to participate in interviews. I interviewed the school’s teachers, principal, and director of instruction. The survey findings were that at least 50% of teachers and school counselors either agreed or strongly agreed that full-time virtual school prepared students for college. This finding was supported by extant assessment data and extant postsecondary data. My recommendation is that the school under study require all teachers to complete an annual professional development that reviews the college and career preparation resources that the school has available for students.

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