Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Relationship Between Principal Longevity And Student Achievement In Middle Schools In New Jersey, Douglas J. Petty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the relationship between principal longevity in New Jersey public middle schools (Grades 6, 7 & 8) and students scoring at Levels 4 (meets expectations) and 5 (exceeds expectations) on the 2016-2017 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment in both English language arts and mathematics. This study used existing empirical data from the New Jersey School Report Card and Data Universe. To put this relationship into better context, eight independent variables were examined in this study: principal’s length of time in a school, principal’s ...

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Current State Of Observation And Feedback In The Seminaries And Institutes Of Religion Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Christopher B. Garner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expect supervisors of teachers to observe teachers regularly and provide feedback, they have not provided those supervisors with adequate training materials, or explained how these supervisors are expected to accomplish this. For this study, three administrators and three teachers were interviewed about their experiences with observation and feedback in S&I. Their responses provided clarification on the purposes of observation and feedback, revealed that a lack of supervisor training has resulted in teachers’ experiences with observation and feedback being different from administrator ...

Learning Communities: Opportunities For The Retention Of Faculty Of Color, Judy A. Loveless-Morris, Latoya S. Reid

Learning Communities Research and Practice

The purpose of this article is to address how teaching in learning communities can be an effective tool for the retention of faculty of color. The article outlines the on-going, concerning issue of higher education's lack of faculty diversity. Through their shared lens as tenure-track faculty of color at an urban community college, the authors identify common barriers for retention of faculty of color, and types of learning community models. They also recommend the most effective learning community model for faculty of color collaboration, and explain how this model addresses the trends of tokenism, isolation, marginalization and lack of ...

Introductory Pages, Christopher W. Tremblay, Patrick O'Connor

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Complete Issue, Christopher W. Tremblay, Patrick O'Connor

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Courtrooms And Classrooms: A Legal History Of College Access, 1860-1960, Mark A. Addison

Journal of College Access

Issues of college access are increasingly met with resolutions within social and economic contexts. Models such as cost of production output, and race and socioeconomic-conscious strategies form the basis of such analyses (Jenkins & Rodriguez, 2013; Henriksen, 1995; Treager Huber, 2010; Schmidt, 2012). We can expect retooling and reinventing of such models with increasing college costs and changes in student demographics.

College Didn’T Prepare Me For This: The Realities Of The Student Debt Crisis And The Effect It Is Having On College Graduates, April Perry, Cassandra Spencer

The William & Mary Educational Review

Student loans are like a dark cloud looming above 41 million Americans (Perna, Kvall, & Ruiz, 2017). Through young adults’ personal accounts and relevant literature, we aimed to explore how student debt has altered the lives of college graduates and what can be done to educate students before they graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. To provide context, we first discuss a brief history of student loans and address what we know from the literature about the burden of student debt. Next, we address the factors that contribute to the student debt crisis and the effects of student ...

A Multiple-Case Study On The Perceptions Of Teacher Autonomy In A Traditionally Structured And A Teacher Powered School, Jerry Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine teachers’ perceived autonomy in two different school settings. The theory that guided this study was Bandura’s social-cognitive theory, specifically focusing on the three aspects of human agency. The research question was used to investigate the similarities and differences of teachers’ perceptions of autonomy in two schools one traditionally structured and the other teacher-powered. Thirteen participants from two separate settings, one teacher-powered school and one traditionally structured school were selected for this study. Participants were selected using criterion-sampling methods to ensure that all participants were teachers within their setting ...

Digital Natives' Perceptions On Feeling Understood By Teachers: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Informing 21st Century Education, Dennis D. Perez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the academic and social experiences of digital natives at Patrick Harrison High School (pseudonym) located in southern California. The research questions addressing the study were: (a) What are digital natives’ academic and social experiences; (b) How does feeling understood by teachers shape digital natives’ learning experiences; and (c) How does the use of social media, the Internet and digital devices contribute to 21st-century education as perceived by digital natives? Prensky’s (2001) theory on digital nativity, Gordon’s (1988) theory on feeling understood, and Vygotsky’s (1978) constructivist learning views ...

The Impact Of Mentorship On The Motivation To Learn: A Phenomenological Study Of High School African American Male Students At Risk For Failure, Godwin M. Prospere

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how at-risk male African American students who attend Title I inner-city high schools in Central Florida, and are at risk for failure, perceive mentorship impacts their motivation to learn. The theories that guided this study were Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy, as each theory describes the basic needs that must be satisfied before an individual can be motivated to learn, and the role of interaction in developing self-efficacy and the motivation to learn. The central research question that guided ...

African American High School Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics And Perceptions Of Extant Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Ethnomathematics, Brice Le Anthony Scott

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

African American students' severe underachievement in mathematics in comparison to their peers has been framed as an achievement gap that continues to widen despite the efforts of many education scholars and leaders. Throughout history in the United States, mathematics education has been designed, developed, and delivered within a Eurocentric philosophy. Consequently, African American students have been at a systemic disadvantage in terms of perceiving the cultural relevance of mathematics; which has served as a detriment to their academic success. By merging ethnomathematics and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) into a theoretical framework, this study investigates these issues and proposes a shift ...

Public Relations And The School Superintendent: From Theory To Practice, Terry L. Hapney Jr.

Terry L. Hapney Jr., Ph.D.

A Baby Boomer’S Journey On The Path To Gender Equity, Sheri Williams

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

This personal poem chronicles a baby boomer’s journey on the path to gender equity and access. The poem recounts events that shaped the author’s positionally as a woman and educator. The journey starts with early life experiences, narrates events in the author’s schooling and career, and springs forward to a more just and hopeful future. Readers are invited to pen their own past, present, and future journey by considering how their lives have been influenced by the intersections of age, gender, class, race, political belief, culture, history and other subjectivities.

University Update - May 2018, Kathy Krendl

University Updates & Communications from the University President

No abstract provided.

Considerations In Promoting Parent And Family Involvement, Staci M. Zolkoski, Donna M. Sayman, Calli G. Lewis-Chiu

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

It has been recognized for decades that parent and family (PF) involvement is a vital component of students' educational experiences. Moreover, PF involvement is identified as an important protective factor for students. Thus, school administrators and educators understanding and encouraging positive relationships between families and schools may be one way to promote academic, social, and emotional success for youth throughout their lives. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature on PF involvement and delineate a proposed model of PF involvement to foster resilience in children and youth.

Growing Together: Personal Reflection And Understanding Can Foster Team Development, Rachael Layne

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This paper describes my journey through the CCT program and how it impacted me as an individual, as an officer in the Air Force, as well as those with whom I interact on a regular basis. I explore the concepts of creative problem-solving, dialogue processes, reflective practices, and research and engagement and how they enabled me to be a better leader. These topics oscillate between introspective ideas and self-development to focusing on how a better understanding of one’s self will allow for a better understanding of group and team dynamics. The final portion of the paper describes the culmination ...

Reinvigorating Classroom Practice Through Collaborative K-12 And Higher Education Professional Development, Sean W. Agriss, Katie O'Connor, Louann Reamer, Andrea Reid

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

High school, community college, and university faculty attempted to address student readiness for first-year college English classes by working with each other across sectors in an ongoing, collaborative professional development project, Successful Transitions to College (STC). STC demonstrates that teachers can work across sectors to smooth transitions for students who often navigate multiple educational systems throughout their K-16 experience. This professional development work intentionally built opportunities for faculty to work collaboratively while honoring teaching expertise and shared problem solving. Interest in student transition across academic sectors has created a fresh realization for many teachers—one of the best ways to ...

How Factors Of School Leadership, School Culture, And Teachers’ Perceptions Influence Parental Engagement In Two Title I Urban Middle Schools: Implications For Educational Leaders, Jenevee Spence

Electronic Theses & Dissertations Collection for Atlanta University & Clark Atlanta University

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify how the select factors of school leadership, school culture and teachers’ perceptions influence parental engagement in two Title I Urban Middle Schools. This study investigated the strategies and programs that have an impact on parental engagement to determine how these can be used to improve parental engagement in Title I Urban Middle Schools. In order to accomplish the goal of this qualitative study, two Urban Title I Middle Schools from a large school district in the Southeastern United States were selected. This research design provided the opportunity to address the research ...

The Perception Of Principals Related To Select Intervention Factors Affecting Student Drop-Out Rate In Three Urban High Schools, Harvey Beasley

Electronic Theses & Dissertations Collection for Atlanta University & Clark Atlanta University

Although graduation rates are increasing in Georgia and in the United States, high school dropouts remain an issue of significant concern. Much of the focus of research in this area has been on describing the characteristics of dropouts rather than on developing effective interventions. Moreover, emerging research shows that potential dropouts can be identified with confidence as early as the sixth grade. High school is the time in which dropouts are typically identified and interventions begun, but the seeds of dropping out are often planted well before ninth grade.

This study is about school administrators’ perceptions of drop-out factors in ...

Parental Involvement And Other Parental And School-Related Predictors Of Academically Successful Students, Mark Williams

Electronic Theses & Dissertations Collection for Atlanta University & Clark Atlanta University

Schools have defined parental involvement as parent reported participation at least once during the school year. Participation can consist of attending a school meeting, parent/teacher conference, school event or volunteering in the school. Researchers have spent countless hours researching parental involvement and its impact on academic success for students. Researchers have conducted studies using two-parent households, single-parent households and studies comparing single-parent households to two-parent households. A majority of the studies had favorable outcomes for two-parent households and not so favorable outcomes for single-parent households. Especially, if those households were headed by a single African American female.

During the ...