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A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Its Strategic Human Capital Utilization And The Shift In Institutional Culture After The Merger, Trini Yunes

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, there has been recent attention to mergers involving higher education institutions. The fact is that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are not a novel topic but more common in business. The paper will present the findings of a case study of the merger of two Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Texas and how leadership used both legacy cultures to create a new organizational culture. The main focus of this study is to compare the relationships, as viewed by staff and faculty, between institutional performance and organizational culture. It will also determine how human capital (HC) utilization is related …

Latino/A Student Perspectives On Literacy Practices Affecting College Readiness, Danira Vanessa Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative collective case study examines how pre-collegiate literacy practices affect Latino/a student college success. Conducted at a South Texas border-region University, this study utilized a sample of six Latino/a students enrolled in a freshman level composition course. A focus group was used to explore how academic and social literacy practices play a part in college readiness for these transitioning college students. Additionally, personal narratives were conducted as a form of counternarrative. Modeled on the theoretical framework of removing racism from school structures and closing race-related academic divides, findings included the need for social and cultural acceptance, classroom adaptability, and …

The Journey Of Selected Latina Transnational Educational Leaders: Transforming Their Lives Through Educational Achievements And Successful Careers, Raquel Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the journeys of selected Latina transnationals and how they transformed their lives through educational achievements and successful careers in the borderlands of Texas. The researcher utilized a phenomenological collective case study approach that investigated how the selected Latina transnationals overcame challenges via a series of semi-structured interviews (Creswell, 2013). Latinas are forced through their journeys to negotiate multiple systems that could possibly impact their educational trajectories (Lechuga-Pena & Lechuga, 2018). Despite Latinas being seen as the other, the object, the minority, many are able to tell their own stories and liberate themselves …

A South Texas Elementary School’S Transition To A Constructivist Blended Learning Model Of Instruction In Math: Perceptions Of Students And Parents, Ana Holland

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory transcendental phenomenological study delved into the perceptions of selected South Texas public elementary school parents and students as they transitioned from traditional math practices to a personalized pedagogy which incorporated the constructivist model of instruction—blended learning. This study focused on fourth and fifth grade students engaged in the transition to blended learning for a minimum of two years and their parents. The exclusion and inclusion parent and student survey data facilitated the selection and organization of participants into focus group interviews, which aligned with a purposive sampling (Rubin & Rubin, 2012a; Mills & Gay, 2016; Creswell, 2013). Along …

Factors That Contribute To Motivation And Student Achievement As Adolescents Transition From Elementary To Middle School Or Junior High In One Urban District In The Rio Grande Valley, Lizette Villarreal Longoria

Theses and Dissertations

This study will examine factors that contribute to the decline in achievement scores in reading and mathematics when students transition from elementary to their first year in middle school or junior high school. It will test the hypothesis that motivation is not a function of mentors, academic support, teams, parental involvement, transition experience, math perception, and reading perception for students transitioning from elementary to middle school or junior high school. In this quantitative research study, data will be collected using a multiple linear regression analysis to examine the factors that contribute to motivation and the achievement score decline in reading …

Understanding Teacher Perceptions And Experiences About Active Learning Techniques In High School U.S. History Courses At A Lower Rio Grande Valley School District, Juan J. Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of teachers about the use of active learning techniques in high school United States history courses at a lower Rio Grande Valley school district. The study employed a phenomenology design for rich textural descriptions and a systematic exploration of the phenomenon of active learning techniques. Data were collected from individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group of 8 U.S. history teachers. Teacher lesson plans were examined to further corroborate evidence coded from the semi-structured interviews and focus group.

The research evidence suggested that active learning pedagogies create a progressive learning environment, they …

The Role Of The School District In High-Performance Title One Schools In South Texas, George Padilla, Roberto Zamora, Federico Guerra

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

A mixed research study was designed and conducted to identify effective characteristics of high-performing, high-poverty schools. Four South Texas Title 1 schools identified as High Performing Schools by the Texas Education Agency in 2016 were selected for the study. To be selected, these schools were also required to meet or exceed a set of criteria applied by the researchers. An effective school model, comprised of eleven characteristics and school processes, was developed based on a synthesis of effective school research and served as the theoretical framework for the study. The characteristics include Culture, Leadership, Instruction, Improvement, Home and Community Relations, …

The Relationship Between Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Style, And Student Achievement In High Poverty Schools, Roldan Castro

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study unfolds the amount of a relationship a principal's emotional intelligence, leadership style, and student achievement has in high poverty schools. Principal's emotional quotient was measured using the MSCEIT assessment in four areas: perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions. Leadership style was measured using the MLQ 5X survey through the lens of their teachers, classifying a principal as a transformational, transactional, or passive leader. 2019 Texas Academic Progress Reports reading and mathematics scores were used for participating principals. The sample included eight participating school districts is the South Texas region, in which a range of …

A Phenomenological Collective Case Study Of Mexican American Gifted Dropouts In South Texas, Albert Irlas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the shared experiences of formally identified gifted Mexican American students that decided to drop out of high school in the south Texas region. The researcher utilized a phenomenological collective case study approach that investigated the influences that led gifted learners to drop out of high school via a series of semi-structured interviews that collected and analyzed the shared narrative data (Creswell, 2013; Degand, 2015; Seidman, 2014). Prevailing studies have found that Mexican American gifted learners are more likely to live in economically depressed communities, more likely to suffer from linguistic and cultural …

Selected Texas University Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Threat Assessment Teams And Their Impact On Campus Safety, Elizabeth Silva

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the rising violence on university campuses many institutions of higher education (IHE) have formed Threat Assessment Teams (TAT) on their campuses (Randazzo, & Cameron, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of the impact that Threat Assessment Teams have had on the campus safety at two large state universities in Texas.

To examine this perception, Threat Assessment Team members as well as selected stakeholders were interviewed, as a method of collecting data. The research design for this study was a Qualitative Collective Case Study (Creswell, 2015). This research investigated the perceptions university stakeholders …

Effective School Leadership: School Staff And Parent Perceptions, George Padilla, Federico Guerra, Roberto Zamora

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

A mixed-research case study was conducted to identify effective school characteristics of high-performing, high-poverty schools. Four High-Performing Reward schools in South Texas were selected to study. An eleven effective school characteristics model, including processes, was developed from the effective school research literature as the framework for the study. Onsite data collection from each school included a staff survey and focus group session, parent survey and focus group session, and principal interview. The study findings supported the eleven effective school characteristics model

An area of improvement in school application identified among these high-performing schools was Leadership. School staff and parent perceptions …

Latina Female Superintendents Securing Positions In Small Rural School Districts, Irma Castillo, Velma D. Menchaca, Veronica Lopez-Estrada

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

Underrepresentation of women in the position of school superintendent has been identified as an equity issue in the field of education. National demographics show that approximately 73% of school superintendents are male as compared to only 27% female. Of these female superintendents, Latina and nonwhite female superintendents make up a small percentage of this group (Kominiak, 2016) and scarce in the literature. This research study revealed that Latina superintendents were attracted to small rural districts with a familial environment with high levels of parental and community involvement. They shared the perspective that small rural communities seemed to be more receptive …

The Relationship Between Cardiovascular Fitness And Body Mass Index To Student Achievement In 5th Grade Hispanic Children Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas, Maricela Hernandez, Rosalinda Hernandez, Alejandro Garcia

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between cardiovascular fitness, body mass index and academic performance in 547 Hispanic children in 5th grade from a Rio Grande Valley school district. The dependent variable, academic performance, was measured by children’s gain score on the STAAR Progress Measure for Reading and Math assessments. The independent variables of physical fitness were measured by scores on cardiovascular fitness and body mass index from the FITNESSGRAM assessment. The statistical and data analysis method used by this study utilized multiple regression. The results revealed that body mass index was correlated with academic …

School Counselors' Use Of A Multitier System Of Support To Foster Safe School Experiences And Respond To School Violence, George Padilla, Clarissa L. Salinas, Javier Cavazos Vela, James F. Whittenberg

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this chapter, the authors introduce and identify current issues, controversies and problems that influence school safety and counselor preparedness. A brief overview of school violence in America, counselors' training to deal with school violence, and factors that influence school violence are provided. Following this, the authors present a multitier system of supports (MTSS) as a recommended model for counselors to (1) prevent, (2) prepare and plan, (3) respond, and (4) lead recovery efforts as related to school violence. Finally, a case study is presented in which the authors apply best practices within the American Counselor Association's national framework to …

The Impact Of Gsas, School Size, And Geographic Location On School Climate In South Texas, Heraclio Flores, Israel Aguilar, Jonathan Mcphetres, Frank Hernandez

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications and Presentations

While gay-straight alliances (GSAs) play a role in improving the well-being and sense of safety for LGBTQ students, additional factors such as school size, geographical location, and the community climate at large may have more controlling implications for school diversity and acceptance. This survey research type, quantitative study, investigates the retrospective responses of subjects from two Hispanic-Serving Institutions to examine the impact of GSAs, school size, and geographic location on school climates in rural South Texas high schools. Results suggest that the effect of GSAs on school diversity and acceptance may be diminished in a conservative, rural setting. Other factors …