Principal Dispositions Regarding The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, 2015 University of Dayton
Principal Dispositions Regarding The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, Theodore J. Kowalski, David Alan Dolph
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) was first implemented during the 2013-14 school term. This study examined principals’ dispositions at the end of this school term. Findings revealed several major concerns. The most prominent were (a) not having sufficient time to implement the program properly, (b) basing a teacher’s performance heavily on student value-added data, and (c) being required to assist teachers in developing their annual improvement plans. Three independent variables, teaching experience, administrative experience, and level of school assignment, were found to have only a low level of association with principal dispositions. With respect to teacher evaluation generally, findings …
Developing Counselor Self-Efficacy While Supporting At-Risk Youth: Partnership Between Umass Boston, Techboston Academy, And Urban Science Academy, 2014 University of Massachusetts Boston
Developing Counselor Self-Efficacy While Supporting At-Risk Youth: Partnership Between Umass Boston, Techboston Academy, And Urban Science Academy, Robert Gracia, Laura A. Hayden, Amy L. Cook, Allie Scherer
Laura A Hayden
Targeted supervision was used to develop counseling trainees’ self-efficacy when working with urban youth. Interview findings suggested that intentional strategies to develop urban self-efficacy were effective. While inferential statistics identified that urban fieldwork contributed to counselors’ self-efficacy, intentional strategies were not necessarily beneficial. This study yields implications for counselor educators who are incorporating field work into their graduate programs.
A Social Justice Approach: Exploring Umass Boston’S Service Learning Partnership With The Boston Public Schools To Develop High School Students’ College And Career Readiness, 2014 University of Massachusetts Boston
A Social Justice Approach: Exploring Umass Boston’S Service Learning Partnership With The Boston Public Schools To Develop High School Students’ College And Career Readiness, Laura Hayden, Amy Cook, Robert Gracia, Jason Youmatz, Elizabeth Walsh
Laura A Hayden
Through partnership with two BPS high schools, school counseling graduate students engage in service learning and participate in organized experiences that meet school needs and are coordinated with graduate students' learning goals. School counseling students meet with BPS students individually and through classroom interventions to assist in the college/career process and prepare them for post-secondary educational options. This session will describe the partnership, including direct experiences shared by graduate students.
Narrowing The Gap: Exploring The Characteristics And Practices Of Urban School Principals Closing The Achievement Gap, 2014 California State University - San Bernardino
Narrowing The Gap: Exploring The Characteristics And Practices Of Urban School Principals Closing The Achievement Gap, Gordon D. Amerson Jr
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to critically analyze the experiences and practices of Inland Empire urban school principals as they work to close the African American achievement gap. The achievement gap begins in elementary school and continues to persist throughout elementary and secondary schools producing differences in high school graduation rates, college and career attainment, and ultimately socio-economic differences in income between various racial and ethnic groups.
We know the impact of school principals on student achievement is significant. The literature demonstrates that school principals play a key role in developing the structures and systems necessary to improve …
The Effect Of A Summer Oral Language And Literacy Intervention On The Literacy Acquisition Of At-Risk First Grade Emergent Readers, 2014 Bellarmine University
The Effect Of A Summer Oral Language And Literacy Intervention On The Literacy Acquisition Of At-Risk First Grade Emergent Readers, Mary Beth Stevens
Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones
The persistent achievement gap between children from low-socioeconomic and mid- to upper-socioeconomic homes is evident in both national and statewide literacy assessments. Although the summer months away from school are part of the problem, they also hold the potential for an effective solution. Interventions that accelerate literacy development during summer vacation, particularly for children of low-socioeconomic status, have the potential to shift the educational trajectory of our most at-risk students. We investigated the effect of a four-week summer oral language and literacy intervention on the literacy development of rising first grade students from at-risk elementary schools in Jefferson County Public …
A Regional Approach To School Diversity: The Possibility, Feasibility, And Desirability, 2014 Virginia Commonwealth University
A Regional Approach To School Diversity: The Possibility, Feasibility, And Desirability, Damon Richardson, Brian Maltby, Joseph Koontz, Ram Bhagat
The William & Mary Educational Review
The growing opportunity and achievement gaps between and within school divisions in the Richmond, Virginia area are a concern of late. Educational experts and researchers attribute these disparities in part to factors such as less- qualified teachers, poor curricula, and inferior school facilities that are linked to racially and socioeconomically isolated schools. To help reverse the widening student opportunity and achievement gaps that are related to economic and racial isolation, there is a need to explore ways to advance educational equity and excellence in Richmond area schools.
Professional Qualifications And Gender, 2014 University of Dayton
Professional Qualifications And Gender, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
Literature comparing male and female superintendents rather consistently has reported differences in professional qualifications. Most notably, females have higher levels of professional experience, especially as teachers, before becoming a superintendent. Logically, authors studying this topic conclude that females usually must have superior credentials to enter the position. Two findings in AASA's latest decennial study of superintendents, one pertaining to teaching experience and the other to age upon entering the position, suggest the conclusion remains valid. In 2010, 28 percent of males and 13 percent of females had fewer than 6 years of teaching experience. In 2000, those figures were 41 …
The Imperative Of The School Choice Option Of Nclb: In Whose Interest?, 2014 Alachua County Public Schools
The Imperative Of The School Choice Option Of Nclb: In Whose Interest?, Teri Jones
Georgia Educational Research Association Conference
Since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became law, educators have faced challenges trying to protect the common good of a public education while, at the same time, developing and/or reviewing proposals to provide for the school choice option of NCLB. In the debate over market-driven education versus traditional public education, many times, the ideologies behind each approach come into direct conflict. Educators and legislators need to be able to identify when privileged interests are at the core of reforms or if the education of each student is the primary interest being served.
This project provides a real life portrait of …
School Shootings And Principals' Perception Of Armed Personnel In An Education Setting, 2014 Seton Hall University
School Shootings And Principals' Perception Of Armed Personnel In An Education Setting, Richard Reyes
Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)
The purpose of this study was to explore the dilemma principals have in determining the best approach to provide safe environment for their students and faculty, while at the same time creating an environment that is conducive to education.
The study looked at an urban school district with a marginalized community with low socioeconomic status as identified by the District Factor Group A. Twelve school principals were interviewed to gather information of their perceptions in relation to having armed personnel in their schools.
The literature on school shootings and armed personnel in schools was reviewed. The literature consisted of peer-reviewed …
Student Motives For Taking Online Courses In Educational Administration, 2014 University of Dayton
Student Motives For Taking Online Courses In Educational Administration, Theodore J. Kowalski, David Alan Dolph, Ila Phillip Young
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
This study was conducted with students enrolled in a master’s degree program in educational administration at a private research university that offered all required courses in both online and in-class formats. The purposes were to determine (a) the extent to which online courses were selected, (b) the level of importance students placed on four common motives for taking online courses, and (c) levels of association between the importance of values and two demographic variables (employment level and years of teaching experience). The extent to which students took online courses varied considerably. Convenience and flexibility were the most important motives and …
Superintendent Mobility, 2014 University of Dayton
Superintendent Mobility, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
A study nearly 50 years ago categorized superintendents as being either career-bound or place-bound. The former consisted of administrators inclined to advance their career by relocating to a new school district or state. The latter group consisted of administrators who sought internal promotions over relocation.
Two findings from AASA:s latest decennial superintendents' study reveal virtually no change in mobility since 2000. This outcome is somewhat surprising in light of the increases in the number of post-retirement individuals continuing to serve in the superintendency by accepting a job covered by another state's pension system.
Examining The Relationship Between Math Scores And English Language Proficiency, 2014 Walden University
Examining The Relationship Between Math Scores And English Language Proficiency, Denfield L. Henry, Beate Baltes, Nicolae Nistor
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
Multiple studies propose that English proficiency dictates English language learners’ (ELLs) performances on mathematics assessments. The current study investigates the predictive power of English proficiency on mathematics scores, while controlling for gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and grade level among ELLs at a south Florida elementary school. Krashen’s theory of comprehensible input as a precursor to second language acquisition provides the framework for this quantitative, correlation study. Mathematics scores from the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test for Grade 3–5 ELLs (N = 177) were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Analysis reveals English proficiency as a statistically significant predictor of mathematics scores. …
An Interpretive Plan Guide For Wilderness Park In Lincoln, Nebraska, 2014 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
An Interpretive Plan Guide For Wilderness Park In Lincoln, Nebraska, Rachel J. Ward
Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects
Wilderness Park, located in Lancaster County, Nebraska, is a public park of unique ecological and historical value to the city of Lincoln and to the surrounding region. The natural and historical features of the park present an opportunity to communicate environmental and historical topics that are relevant on local, national, and global levels, as well as inspire a lively sense of pride in the community. The problem is that many topics relevant to Wilderness Park are not currently being interpreted at the park, and that there are relatively few interpretive resources available to park visitors.
The purpose of this project …
Perceptions Of State Education Agencies, 2014 University of Dayton
Perceptions Of State Education Agencies, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
Relationships between state government and school districts reflect long-standing tensions involving liberty and equity. In states where the former is emphasized, the authority and scope of responsibilities relegated to state agencies are limited, so local boards and superintendents have considerable leeway to make decisions. In states that exercise centralized controls to provide reasonably equal educational opportunities, localities have less flexibility. Consequently, superintendent survey ratings should be considered in light of such dissimilarities across state education departments.
An AASA superintendency study indicated superintendents held widely differing views of their state education agencies. In general, district enrollment, with one exception, was not …
Working Students’ Perceptions Of Paying For College: Understanding The Connections Between Financial Aid And Work, 2014 University of Dayton
Working Students’ Perceptions Of Paying For College: Understanding The Connections Between Financial Aid And Work, Mary Ziskin, Mary Ann Fischer, Vasti Torres, Beth Pellicciotti, Jacquelyn Player-Sanders
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
For many students at urban commuter colleges, the process of financial aid is unknown or mysterious; and so they work—often many hours a week—to pay expenses that financial aid might have covered. Missteps, unforeseen events, and limited resources can have severe consequences for the academic progress of these students. The broader study, of which this paper is a part, represents an effort to explore and describe students’ college-going, working, family responsibilities, and academic success at three commuter institutions in a metropolitan region in the Midwest. The encompassing project aims to introduce new qualitative data and situated description into the study …
An Appreciative Look: Examining The Development Of Urban Youths' Civic Identity In And Out Of The Social Studies Classroom, 2014 Old Dominion University
An Appreciative Look: Examining The Development Of Urban Youths' Civic Identity In And Out Of The Social Studies Classroom, Wendy Elaine Scott
Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations
Current trends in the United States show a decline in voter participation and other forms of political engagement (Torney-Putra, Wilkenfeld, & Barber, 2008). There is further evidence to suggest that an understanding of civic knowledge and behaviors that represent civic participation is even more abysmal for urban students including students with low economic status and minority groups (Kahne, 2009; Torrey-Putra, 2001). However, traditional discourse around the gaps and deficits faced by urban students fail to recognize the educational systems that limit the growth and development of marginalized youth and ignore the assets that urban youth possess (Irizarry, 2001; Landson-Billings, 2006; …
Urban Education Reform- Case Study: North Forest Independent School District, 2014 Texas Southern University
Urban Education Reform- Case Study: North Forest Independent School District, Jay K. Aiyer, Michael O. Adams, Subria Lapps
Michael O Adams
Education reformers and advocates have conducted extensive studies and produced significant research around various models of school turnaround and reform. As a case study for policy in relation to models for school district turnaround, we will explore Houston’s North Forest Independent School District (NFISD). The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, as a study of policy we will retroactively explore the key factors that led to the proposed closure of NFISD. Second, using existing strategies of school turnaround, we will explore potential models of reform that may be applied to NFISD. Third, we will discuss biases and recommendations concerning …
Indigenous Urban School Leadership: A Critical Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis Of Educational Leaders In New Zealand And The United States, 2014 The University of Auckland
Indigenous Urban School Leadership: A Critical Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis Of Educational Leaders In New Zealand And The United States, Lorri J. Santamaría, Andrés P. Santamaría, Melinda Webber, Hoana Pearson
Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale
This qualitative inquiry compares the practice of one Māori primary school leader of urban education for indigenous multicultural multilingual learners in New Zealand (NZ), to research on the practices of nine educational leaders of colour in the United States (US). This study identifies and compares leadership practices for leaders struggling with ways to positively impact learner outcomes in similar settings (e.g., UK, Canada). From a critical comparative perspective, this school principal shares her leadership practice and lessons learned to inform leadership practice in similarly multifaceted urban settings. This research is undertaken by a collaborative cross-cultural team of educational leaders and …
Starting A Charter School In Benton Harbor, Michigan, 2014 Western Michigan University
Starting A Charter School In Benton Harbor, Michigan, Donald W. Pearson
Masters Theses
This project investigates the process of starting a public school academy (i.e., charter school) in Benton Harbor, Michigan and completing the authorizing application. The dynamics of the project is documented in four phases. The first is the inquiry phase which is identifying, clarifying and documenting the problem. Phase two is designing a comprehension strategy in response to the problem. The third phase is implementing, creating and submitting a viable application for authorization to an educational institution and which is to be submitted to the Michigan State Department of Education for a charter school grant. The last phase of the project …
Religious Freedom In A Brave New World: How Leaders In Faith-Based Schools Can Follow Their Beliefs In Hiring, 2014 University of Dayton
Religious Freedom In A Brave New World: How Leaders In Faith-Based Schools Can Follow Their Beliefs In Hiring, Charles J. Russo
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
A confluence of litigation at the Supreme Court raises important, yet potentially conflicting, questions about the freedom of employers in religious schools1 to hire teachers and staff members. On the one hand, in Hosanna-Tabor v. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission,2 a unanimous Court reasoned that the ministerial exception granted religious leaders alone the authority to choose who is qualified to teach in their schools. On the other hand, the Court’s rulings on same sex-unions seem to be ushering in a brave new world. For example, in United States v. Windsor,3 the Court struck down the Defense …