Education Commons^™

Moving Forward In The Wake Of The Pandemic: Shifting From Schools Acting Alone To Engaged Partnerships With Families And Communities, Sheri S. Williams

The William & Mary Educational Review

Workplace shortages are a top concern for schools in times of calm and even more troubling in times of stress. Burnout is especially widespread in stressful situations of disrupted learning, trauma, and discord (e.g., Diliberti & Schwartz, 2022; Thomas et al., 2019). In the wake of the pandemic, educators struggled to deal with the stressors on their own (IES, 2022). It became clear that schools could no longer work in isolation. Moving forward in the wake of the pandemic required an intentional shift in purpose from isolated classrooms to interconnected partnerships with families and communities. In the path to recovery, …

A Program Evaluation Of I-Ready Implementation In A North Carolina Middle School, Juliana Irene Owen Thompson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Aurelius School District used Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready program, which was philosophically aligned to the science of reading and included i-Ready Diagnostic, i-Ready Instruction, and Teacher Toolbox, to improve Cole Middle School students’ reading achievement. Because of the high monetary cost of i-Ready, the school district was considering changing or ending this program. This pragmatic, mixed methods design, CIPP (Stufflebeam, 2003) program evaluation analyzed the fidelity of implementation of the i-Ready program through descriptive statistics (frequencies); assessed the effectiveness of the i-Ready program in increasing student achievement (on the Diagnostic, NC Check-Ins, and NC EOG) through descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, …

Justice And Change: An Exploratory Case Study Of The Early Implementation Of The Restorative Justice Whole-School Model And Reculturing In A High School In The American South, Amber Weyland Rodenbo

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Discipline inequities across racial, gender, and socioeconomic barriers are a constant in the United States, persisting long after the desegregation of schools in the last century. School divisions and schools across the United States have implemented restorative justice as an alternative to traditional punitive discipline as a potential remedy for discipline inequities. To institute whole-school restorative justice, a change in school culture, or reculturing, must occur, per Fullan’s culture of change and coherence models. Using Fullan’s models, this research was a practice-oriented exploratory case study. The following sources of data were collected: interviews with administrators, an at-will survey sent to …

Organizational Learning In Higher Education: Building Staff Capacity, Rosanna Koppelmann

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Organizational learning has been studied and researched as a construct for organizational improvement. Although its definitions are varied, scholars continue to integrate its use through various disciplinary approaches. It has been studied at the organizational level, but not as much research has taken place at the individual level where day-to-day activities and tasks of the university take place. The goal of this study was therefore to understand the organizational learning processes individuals use in their day-to-day work. This phenomenological study sought to understand the specific activities or tasks individuals perform to acquire, share, and use knowledge throughout the organization. The …

Examining Retention Trends Within A Four-Year Undergraduate Leadership Program, Robert Lange

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Our complicated global society requires effective leadership. Undergraduate Leadership programs vary in design and implementation to provide college students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the leadership process and develop their skills to become more effective leaders themselves. The purpose of this program evaluation study was to determine how elements of student involvement experiences within the academic and co-curricular components of a comprehensive, 4-year leadership program contributed to retention and learning outcomes for students. Program attrition rates represented a potential learning loss at a small, residential, public regional institution, where the study of leadership was emphasized. Through document and …

An Investigation Of The Quality Of Performance Assessments And Implications Of A Grassroots Approach To Accountability Reform, Molly Sandling

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In 2014 the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation replacing end-of-course, multiple-choice assessments with locally developed alternative assessments in five courses, including two middle school social studies courses. This policy allowed Virginia school divisions the autonomy to develop the format, quantity, and focus of their assessments to meet state accountability. Given the grassroots nature of this policy, there has been little oversight of these local alternative assessments (LAAs). Thus, this exploratory study sought to gain insight into how divisions approached the process of preparing for and developing local alternative assessments and Balanced Assessment Plans, as well as the quality of the …

Faculty Matter: A Case Study Of Rural Community College Faculty Involvement In Vertical Transfer, Jingjing Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The community college has one of its missions to provide access for students who intend to transfer to a 4-year university using a vertical transfer pathway. As potential advocates for students in the transfer process, faculty who work in community colleges need to recognize the importance of supporting transfer students and help to improve the transfer pathways. Yet, little is known about the role faculty have in promoting transfer. The purpose of this dissertation study was to investigate the role of community college faculty in the vertical transfer process. The study addressed two research questions: How do community college faculty …

Using Process Mapping As A Tool To Improve Institutional Procedures For Rural Transfer Students: An Action Research Study, Alison Rife Weston

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This study investigated the transfer pathway between a rural university and a community college to understand what procedural barriers exist for student degree attainment within existing structures. Process mapping was used as the intervention to examine the influence of enrollment and student services processes and investigate the perceptions of process mapping among student affairs staff and allow them to make suggestions for changes to policy and procedure in their work. Participants were selected for their role in the transfer process at one of the two institutions and convergent mixed methods methodology through a constructivist lens was used to collect and …

A Trailblazer In Innovative Residential Programming For Students With Gifts And Talents: An Interview With Colm O’Reilly, Colm O'Reilly, Tracy L. Cross

SENG Journal: Exploring the Psychology of Giftedness

No abstract provided.

"I'M Thankful Every Day I Did It": An Exploration Of Belonging For Commuter Students In Historically White Sororities And Fraternities At Primarily Commuter Public Institutions, Michael D. Giacalone

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Membership in historically White sororities and fraternities (HWSF) has been connected with sense of belonging (Cohen et al., 2017; McCreary & Schutts, 2015). The experience of commuter students in sororities and fraternities, however, has been largely overlooked, including an understanding of what belonging consists of as members. This phenomenological study sought to close that gap by exploring how commuter students in HWSF experienced belonging at primarily commuter public institutions through interviews with alumni who lived that experience. Three themes emerged from the data: personal connections, feeling welcomed and accepted, and transformation of the college experience.

Nphc And Mgc Sororities And Fraternities As Spaces Of Activism Within Predominantly White Institutions, Crystal E. Garcia, William R. Walker, Ciera A. Dorsey, Zachary W. Werninck, Jessie H. Johns

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

This study explored how Students of Color within National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council sororities and fraternities engaged in activism and in what ways this involvement connected to their membership. Using a qualitative critical narrative approach, we examined the journeys of ten participants. Findings unpack ways participants engaged in activism and resistance aimed at educating individuals and increasing awareness of societal injustices, addressing inequities through service, and inciting disruption and cultivating institutional and societal level change.

Sense Of Belonging Of New Members Who Are First-Generation College Students: A Single-Institution Qualitative Case Study, Levi J. Harrel-Hallmark, Jason Castles, Pietro A. Sasso

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

While there is research to suggest that first-generation college students benefit from and have a greater sense of belonging as a result of involvement in student organizations, there is limited research on how first-generation college students develop a sense of belonging specifically through their involvement as new members of a fraternity or sorority. This study, constructed within a single-institution qualitative case study framework, highlighted the unique role that organizational involvement, mentorship, emotional support, and first-generation status and identity can play in the development of sense of belonging for fraternity and sorority new members that are first-generation college students.

Book Review: Pietro A. Sasso, J. Patrick Biddix, & Mónica Lee Miranda. (2020). Supporting Fraternities And Sororities In The Contemporary Era: Advancements In Practice. Myers Education Press., Shanté C. Hearst, Kevin J. Bazner Jr.

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Anyone serving as a campus-based fraternity/sorority advisor can attest to the complexity of navigating roles as advocate, advisor, change agent, and more. Further, the storied histories and contemporary challenges facing fraternity/ sorority life (FSL) and higher education professionals is increasingly demanding. The authors of Supporting Fraternities and Sororities in the Contemporary Era: Advancements in Practice present a much needed updated reference text examining the multiple facets FSL and other higher education professionals must be attuned to in supporting students involved in FSL organizations. Appropriately, the editors acknowledge FSL is filled with contradictions fostering positive and negative opportunities for student development …

Letter From The Editor: Development As A Pillar Of Oracle, James P. Barber

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Development as a Pillar of Oracle

James P. Barber, Ph.D.

March 2022

Front Matter & Table Of Contents

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Front Matter & Table of Contents

Differences In Informal Alcohol Protective Behavior Strategies Between Fraternity & Sorority Members, Jaime L. Myers, Pietro A. Sasso

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Institutional interventions and formal policies designed to reduce alcohol misuse among fraternity and sorority members have been largely unsuccessful. However, informal policies to address alcohol use concerns can also develop within this subculture. This qualitative multi-case phenomenological study examined the informal policies chapters adopt to reduce risks associated with drinking. Findings suggested considerable informal policy development, which varies between fraternities and sororities. Sorority groups implemented more protective behavior strategies for members’ safety, whereas fraternities often focus on monitoring outside groups. Implications for practice suggest a combination of risk and harm-reduction approaches that facilitate peer-led protective behavioral strategies.

Developing A Measure Of Leadership Development For Sport Club Student Leaders: A Cross Sectional Research Design, Daniel Gardner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This research study was designed to explore potential variables of Sport Club student leaders’ contexts on their leadership development. My specific unit of analysis was the degree to which Sport Club student leaders demonstrated leadership outcomes in leadership skills that aligned with the Sport Club student leaders’ contexts. I defined Sport Club contextual variables as being the individual, organizational and institutional variables that differentiate Sport Club teams from interest-based student organizations. I devised a cross sectional study research design with a post-positivist lens in order to study a population of Sport Club student leaders at NIRSA (formerly the National Intramural …

Navigating The Male Preserve Of Higher Education Leadership: A Feminist Poststructural Discourse Analysis Of Presidential Inaugural Addresses By Women At Colonial Colleges, Amanda Gwen Goldstein

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Followers grant legitimacy to leaders whom they perceive to be a good fit for the role, yet the conceptual framework for this study illustrated how dominant discourses related to gender and leadership continue to negatively affect a woman’s potential in achieving legitimacy as an academic president. This study examined the predominant discourses taken up by women during their inaugural addresses to legitimate their role as leaders of the colonial colleges—a unique sample of institutions because of their long legacies of male leadership and strong organizational sagas deeply rooted in masculine preferences and cultures. The inaugural address represents a celebration of …

Perceptions Of Fraternity And Sorority Advisors On Alumni Chapter Advisors, Samantha Margaret Easby

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Greek letter organizations are unique student organizations because they are supported, not only by student affairs professionals, but also by alumni chapter advisors. These advisors can influence organizational culture unconsciously through their underlying assumptions and beliefs. The purpose of this study was to examine how Fraternity and Sorority Advisors (FSA) perceive the influence of alumni chapter advisors. A survey instrument collected data from 289 respondents on eight separate constructs based on current literature. Through data reduction the survey items became five factors: high-risk behaviors, leadership development and mentorship, diversity equity and inclusion, philanthropy and service, and persistence and retention. Multiple …

Understanding First-Generation Student Perspectives On Sense Of Belonging And A Student Success Program: A Program Evaluation, Angela D. Bartee

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods program evaluation was to assess how first-generation students related their participation in the Success Program at LU with their sense of belonging. I used the CIPP model to conduct the mixed-methods program evaluation. The evaluation questions were: (1) To what degree do first-generation students who participate in the Success Program report a sense of belonging? and (2) What components of the Success Program do first-generation students find meaningful, based on student perspectives? The General Belongingness Scale (GBS) was used to collect quantitative data by measuring the levels of sense of belonging reported by program participants. …

What Keeps Student Affairs Professionals In The Field: Perspectives Of Mid-Level Administrators, Wilmarie Rodriguez

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Mid-level student affairs professionals are leaving the field at an alarming rate. Even though many studies have given considerable attention to the reasons employees leave, less attention has been given to the reasons they decide to stay. The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to examine factors influencing mid-level student affairs professionals’ retention at two public, medium to small size, 4-year universities in the Mid-Atlantic region. First, the administration of a survey to student affairs professionals at two selected institutions occurred to assess their job embeddedness at the institutions. Interviews, through a narrative approach, with select mid-level student …

Teacher Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy And Instructional Practices Through Instructional Coaching In Mathematics: An Action Research Study, Jason Strong

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Through decades of research and practice, evidence has consistently revealed that math instruction focused on the development of conceptual understanding through reasoning, dialogue, revision, and reflection has the greatest long-term impact on success and self-efficacy in mathematics. Despite these findings, many classrooms continue to employ instructional approaches that emphasize procedural practice. The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to examine the impact of instructional coaching in mathematics on teacher self-efficacy and instruction as they relate to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics teaching practice of facilitating mathematical discourse. Participants in the study included a mathematics instructional coach …

Examining How Vertical Transfer Students Make Sense Of Their Transition Through The Transfer Admission And Enrollment Process During Covid-19, Evanne Christine Raible

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Students transfer from one institution of higher education to another for many different reasons, and students’ decision-making processes and enrollment patterns can be complex. This, coupled with a declining postsecondary enrollment nationally and the number of high school graduates leveling off, has forced the transfer admission offices to think creatively as they work to help fill an emerging enrollment gap and maintain current enrollment levels. This program evaluation took place at Liberal Arts University (LAU), a small, primarily undergraduate, liberal arts university in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and used a case study approach. The theoretical framework that …

Managing Stress In A Time Of Increased Pressure: Perspectives From University Presidents, Russell S. Thacker, Sydney Freeman, Jr.

The William & Mary Educational Review

The modern university presidency continues to become more complex, resulting in numerous personal and professional stresses placed on a president. This study explores the sources, impacts, and successful prevention and management of stress in the position. Data for the study comes from qualitative phenomenological interviews with five sitting presidents of public and private universities in the United States. Using a theoretical lens derived from executive stress theory, the authors examine the degree to which a need for personal control and stability play a role in producing stress and motivating certain stress responses. Meaningful relationships, positive mindsets, and repeatable practices of …

An Examination Of Benefit And Equity In Community-University Service Learning Partnerships, Mary Jo Callan

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Service learning is a widespread educational practice, which, at its foundation, deploys students into partnerships with community organizations toward mutual benefit. Thirty years into the practice, there is a substantial body of research pointing to benefits of service learning for students, with less examination on benefits for community partners with whom students are engaged in service. Further, there is a dearth of examination of equity in service learning partnerships between universities and community organizations. This mixed methods program evaluation examined benefits and equity in service learning partnerships brokered and supported by the Ginsberg Center at the University of Michigan. Through …

An Evaluation Of Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Professional Development Provided Through A School-Based Mental Health Program, Nyah Donnielle Hamlett

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

There are profound implications for students who suffer from mental illness, have unmet social emotional needs, and those who are being taught by ill-prepared teachers with little self-confidence in their ability to adequately address student needs. Teachers spend a significant amount of time with students who experience social and emotional challenges which requires relevant high quality professional development to learn how to recognize possible student mental health issues and to collaborate with internal and external partners to address these issues. This study employed Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) Program Evaluation model to determine the context, input, process, and …

Unfolding The Logic Of A 21st Century Learning Center: Program Evaluation, Monica Rene Manns

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Abstract Community Learning Centers (CLC) provide extended learning opportunities for students and families that live in fiscally under-resourced communities. These centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment. This includes an array of additional services, programs, and activities. The programs should be designed to reinforce and complement the academic program of participating students and provide the families of students with opportunities for dynamic and meaningful engagement in the education of the child. Significant research has been done on the effectiveness of community learning centers but little research has been conducted on the formative process for establishing programming for a community learning center. …

Leaders Of Graduate Education At U.S. Doctoral Universities: Their Perceptions And Experiences Leading The Graduate Schools, Yi Hao

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The problem of interest for this study is to understand more about the leaders of graduate education in the United States, namely the graduate deans. After surveying the topic itself and the gaps in the relevant literature, I conducted a mixed-methods study through a sequential design to fill the gap in the literature on graduate deans as mid-level academic leaders in institutional contexts and to provide theoretical and empirical evidence in advancing the knowledge on academic leaders and leadership in U.S. graduate education. The study employs multiple data collection methods, including document analysis, a survey, and multiple case studies. Demographic …

The Impact Of Undergraduate Student Involvement In Creating Engaged Alumni, Katherine Elizabeth Winstead Reichner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Undergraduate experiences can have a profound impact on a student’s emotional connection and affinity for their alma mater. For many graduates, involvement experiences like student organizations, membership in fraternities and sororities, and on-campus jobs can become an ingrained part of the individual’s social identity. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of young alumni at Christopher Newport University (CNU) through interviews with members of the class of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The research examines their experiences through the lens of Social Identity Theory, particularly the components of prestige and distinctiveness that are believed to increase connection to an identity …

A Program Evaluation Of The One-To-One Chromebook Initiative In A Rural School District In Virginia, Juvenal Enrique Abrego-Meneses

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate the implementation of the One-to-one Chromebook initiative in a rural school district in Virginia. The study used the goals of the district's technology plan as a framework to measure the effectiveness in the implementation of the One-to-one Chromebook Computer initiative in Grades 5, 6, 9, and 10. The study sought to collect the perceptions of stakeholders toward the program, the degree to which students engaged in the purposeful and effective use of Chromebooks as well as the application of technology to demonstrate students' knowledge of 21st century skills. The participants included …