Education Commons^™

Cultural Proficiency: The Necessary Link To Family Engagement, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Although family engagement is crucial to student and community outcomes, schools often alienate families who are not part of the dominant culture. As a result, school leaders need to become culturally proficient to systematically engage all families equitably regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other cultural identifiers. This teaching case study raises issues related to cultural proficiency and family engagement. To help current and future educational leaders foster family engagement, I provide a cultural proficiency for family and community engagement framework. I also pose questions designed to trigger conversations and find practical solutions related to equitable family engagement.

A Journey Towards Cultural Proficiency: Lessons Learned From Africa, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This autoethnography tells my story as a French American woman who lives in the United States and worked with hundreds of school leaders in five African countries over a period of six years. Using a cultural proficiency continuum, I illustrate my learning and changing frames of references pertaining to cultural differences. Movement along the continuum indicates an alteration in thinking that progresses from marginalization to inclusivity. My experiences, mistakes, and lessons learned contribute to the discourse on cultural difference. For six years, I spent more time on the African continent than in my American home. These extended stays allowed me …

Using A Culturally Proficient Leadership Lens To Effectively Serve Refugee Students, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This teaching case study takes place in an American middle school and tells the story of Dorah, a refugee student from the Republic of Congo who experienced severe trauma. At Lincoln Middle School, the principal and her teachers encounter difficulties serving their refugee students adequately because of their lack of cultural proficiency. This case aims to help leaders in diverse contexts understand how to embrace and advocate for different cultures, beliefs, and norms to increase the cultural wealth of their communities. To achieve this goal, I provide a cultural proficiency model and a trauma-invested framework.

“We’Ve Been Forgotten”: First-Hand Perspectives On Teacher Leaders And Teacher Leadership In Urban Schools, Meredith L. Wronowski, James Olive, Wesley Henry, Bryan Vangronigen

Thomas C. Hunt Building a Research Community Day

The use of teacher leadership in PK-12 education has experienced a resurgence since the late 1990's as school leadership models have evolved to include the engagement of diverse stakeholders in school and district leadership processes aimed at positive change and improvement efforts. Despite the recent evolution of school leadership, there remain several barriers to understanding the nature of the work that teacher leaders engage in and the contributions that they make to improvement efforts. This grounded theory study examined teacher perceptions of teacher leadership, the types of work teacher leaders should engage in and the boundaries of that work, and …

A Bottom-Up Approach To Improve Women’S Access To Technical And Vocational Education And Training In India: Examining A Non-Formal Education Upskilling Programme, Matthew A. Witenstein, Radhika Iyengar

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The Indian Government’s 12th Five Year Plan features ambitious goals regarding the upskilling of women in India. While the Plan acknowledges Indian women’s continued inequality, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes (a main avenue for upskilling) pose considerable challenges. There is significant work to be done if India aspires to meet the 12th Plan’s goals. Moreover, to achieve them in a socially just manner, greater efforts are required to include and amplify women’s voices throughout the process. In pursuit of this aim, the authors of this research note share insights from the first stages of their study of …

Leading In Times Of Crisis, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Defining what a crisis is can be challenging because the definition may vary based on information such as who the person defining it is and the context in which this person resides or learns. Educators and community members may argue that their educational organizations have always been in crisis depending on where their schools are located, their schools’ resources, and their students’ learning outcomes and well-being. Thus, for these communities it may be difficult to pinpoint how and when a crisis hits.

In this case study, the author defines crisis as, any situation that disrupts the education and training process …

Trauma-Informed Leadership, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

According to recent data, over 34 million students have experienced at least one or more types of serious childhood trauma. As a result, current and prospective school leaders urgently need to develop trauma-driven skills and abilities in order to create safe schools for all students and raise academic outcomes. This teaching case study raises issues related to trauma experienced among students and its impact on students and school improvement. The author discusses one case in a fictitious district that is representative of the kind of traumas many other American schools face. I also provide additional resources for practitioners.

Marianist Educational Associates: Advancing And Promoting The Mission Of Catholic And Marianist Universities, Corinne Brion, Allison P. Leigh

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Preparing employees to become stewards of the Marianist values and charisms has become a priority at a Marianist institution because employees impact the institution’s environment and faculty and staff directly impact student learning. To date, there is a lack of research conducted among employees of a Marianist institution on how new understandings of institutional mission get transferred to their jobs. Additionally, there is a lack of empirical studies that examine what enhances and hinders the transfer of such understanding. Using the Multidimensional Model of Learning Transfer as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the …

Creating Intentionally Inviting School Cultures During Crisis, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This qualitative study used Purkey and Novack’s (1988) Invitational Education as a conceptual framework to understand how 30 educational leaders in Ohio’s urban and suburban districts created intentionally inviting school cultures during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that leaders altered their leadership styles to focus on people rather than programs and policies in order to be more inviting. Challenges pertained to insufficient funding to provide professional development for teachers and parents and the need for more mobile devices and connectivity. This study is significant because it expands the invitational education framework to show how leaders are being intentionally inviting …

The Use Of Culturally Proficient Professional Development To Enhance Learning Transfer, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The National Staff Development Council recommends that principals devote 10% of the school budget and 25% of teacher time to professional development (PD). While PD requires time, it is crucial that the time be organized, carefully structured, and purposefully led to avoid the waste of human and financial resources. Despite the millions of dollars spent on professional development nationally, student learning outcomes continue to stagnate or dwindle, discipline issues continue to skyrocket, and teacher moral plummets. This may be due, in part, to leaders paying little attention to learning transfer. Culture plays a key role in one’s ability to learn …

Changing Cultural Norms Through Educational Leadership: Voices From Ghanaian Women Principals, Corinne Brion, A. Ampah-Mensah

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this phenomenology study was to understand the experiences of women principals located in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) district of the Central Region of Ghana, a patriarchal and traditional society. Specifically, this study examined how cultural factors positively or negatively influenced women access to the principal role and influenced their leadership experiences. Using Hofstede et al.’s (2010) six dimensions of national culture as a conceptual framework, this study elucidates the experiences of 12 women school leaders. Findings revealed that these women navigated cultural norms and beliefs in order to exercise their own leadership style and pursue their …

Building Emotionally Resilient Schools And Educators During Crises, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the U.S (Gallup, 2014). Stress affects teachers’ health and well-being, job satisfaction, job turnover, and student outcomes (Greenberg et al., 2016). Possessing and using social and emotional skills is necessary to regulate stress, maintain healthy personal and professional lives, and thrive as teachers and leaders (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Jennings, 2015). Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is key to human development because it is “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective …

Covid-19 Crisis Management Strategies And Challenges Of Educational Leaders In America, Corinne Brion, Bilgen Kiral

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This research was conducted to understand how 30 American school leaders managed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study used a case study approach. The researchers utilized a convenience and snowball sampling to conduct Zoom interviews in May 2020. The research findings revealed that leaders encountered numerous difficulties related to having to lead during two crises (a global pandemic and social-racial issues). Findings also indicated that leaders altered their style and used many strategies to lead in times of crises: They emphasized communication, became stress managers and cheer leaders, focused on developing a sense of belonging among teachers and students …

Unhinging The Machismo Binary Through A Third Space Lens: Reframing Latinx Males Postsecondary Academic Decision-Making, Matthew A. Witenstein, Alejandro Cervantes

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This critical and conceptual analysis problematizes the machismo binary and situates it in a third space framework. It explores Latinx males’ higher education experiences and how machismo influences academic decision-making. Situating Latinx males’ college-going in the third space provides a more nuanced portrayal of their academic decision-making across diverse postsecondary settings. In doing so, the Latinx Gender Identity Development Model for Latinx Males in the Third Space is proposed and connects machismo with other domains such as marianismo, caballerismo and familismo. The proposed framework is illustrated by applying it to Latinx males across critical dimensions that impact their decision-making in …

The Role Of Culture In The Transfer Of Training, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Organizations interested in raising their performance and results spend large sums of money on training their employees, but unless the resultant learning is transferred to the work situation, that investment will not yield a return. This study's initial premise is that national cultures may play a part in the transfer process. The study’s purpose is to identify national cultural factors which may influence training and learning transfer. Leadership trainings among school leaders in Ghana and Burkina Faso, West Africa were observed and recorded using Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov’s (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a framework of analysis. Some cultural …

Fostering Equitable Opportunities For All Students Through Transfer Of Equity Knowledge, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

To date, there has been little research conducted among school leaders on how new equity knowledge gets transferred to schools. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the extent to which educational leaders attending a year-long equity program are able to transfer the newly acquired knowledge to their professional lives. Findings reveal that leaders were able to use new equity knowledge in their personal and professional lives. Further analysis identifies enhancers and inhibitors to the transfer of such equity knowledge. The researcher provides policy recommendations related to facilitating and sustaining the transfer of equity knowledge among school leaders.

Being Global Means More Than Traveling Around The Globe … So, What Does It Mean?, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Being global means more than traveling around the globe. Being global means having a culturally proficient mindset. Having a culturally proficient mindset involves celebrating and advocating for diversity and being willing to face our own conscious and unconscious biases while also accepting the fact that some of us are born privileged. I know I was born in and with privileges. I accept that I have biases because of cultural and familial values and beliefs.

This reflection is a product of teaching a course for future school leaders on diversity in schools, my own educational and leadership journey, and my passion …

The Communicative Pragmatics Of Data-Use For Equity: A Theoretical And Methodological Framework, Mary B. Ziskin

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Calls for higher education institutions to implement improvements guided by “data-driven” processes are prevalent and widespread. Despite the pervasiveness of this turn toward data, research on how data-use works on the ground in postsecondary institutions—that is, how individuals within institutions make sense of education data and use it to inform practice—is still developing.

Drawing on Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action (TCA), critical-race theory, and methodological guidance on critical-qualitative research methods, this paper synthesizes methodological and substantive insights from P–12 data-use research, with an eye to applying these insights to critical questions on postsecondary educational equity. The result of the review …

Leadership Training In Burkina, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

I have been blessed to work in Burkina Faso for the past five years. Our task there has been to build the capacity of school leaders. School leaders in Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPSs) do not have any formal training and in most instances are not educators. Because a training is as good as its material and trainers, we developed contextualized research-based educational leadership materials in which adult learning theories are embedded. We train local school leaders, train local trainers through a Train the Trainers model (TOT), and conduct research.

Learning Transfer: The Missing Linkage To Effective Professional Development, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Professional development is an important element in improving teachers and leaders’ skills and abilities that will impact student academic achievement (Koonce, Pijanowski, Bengston & Lasater, 2019; Reeves, 2010). Too often, budgets are spent on professional development that yield little results (Speck & Knipe, 2005). Each district has its own focus for professional development depending on the needs of the school communities, the latest standardized test results, and the most recent policies. Despite the millions of dollars spent on professional development nationally, student learning outcomes continue to be stagnate or dwindle, discipline issues continue to skyrocket, and teacher moral plummets. This …

Principals' Perspectives Of Mindfulness For Leadership And Equity, Corinne Brion, Gina L. Gullo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Purpose: The current study sought to explore principals’ perspectives of definitions and uses of mindfulness in their leadership and equity practices.

Design: The primary researcher observed and interviewed eleven school principals using qualitative methods during the course of this study.

Findings: Four themes developed from principals’ definitions of mindfulness: (1) awareness and attention, (2) present centeredness, (3) modeling listening and respect, and (4) decision-making processes. The principals’ actions also presented ethical mindedness in their equity pursuits and reflection in their general leadership practices, despite establishing the presence of a stigma around mindfulness.

Research limitations/implications: Beyond the limitations of qualitative …

Low-Fee Private Schools: Case Studies From Ghana, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This article focuses on Christian low-fee private schools (LFPSs) in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. This qualitative study uses a case study approach to longitudinally examine who these schools serve, why parents chose them, and what challenges the schools face. Findings reveal that parents choose Christian LFPSs for religious reasons and the quality of the education these schools provide. Other reasons include proximity, teacher and administrator quality, small class sizes, and extracurricular offerings. Challenges for these schools were financial and related to retaining teachers. This research is significant because Christian LFPSs have a role to play in helping Ghana’s …

Teaching Diversity For Adaptation And Change: A Case Study, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Preparing teachers and leaders to become culturally competent has become a global concern and a priority. To date, there has been little research con- ducted among school leaders regarding how new diversity knowledge is transferred to schools. Therefore, the purpose of the present qualitative study is to explore the extent to which future educational leaders enrolled in a graduate course regarding diversity are able to transfer the newly acquired knowledge to their professional lives and to understand what hinders and enhances their transfer of knowledge. Using the multidimen- sional model of learning transfer as a theoretical framework and analyz- ing …

Implicit Bias: An Unconscious Barrier To Family Engagement, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This teaching case study illustrates the need to engage all parents in schools as they enhance the community’s cultural capital and cultural wealth. In order to engage parents from various races and ethnicities, educational leaders should understand the role implicit biases play in inhibiting equitable parent participation. In this case study, the author provides a framework to enhance parent engagement. The author also suggests that educational leaders use an instrument to assess their implicit biases and determine the biases held by parents as well. Finally, community cultural wealth is defined and an explanation is provided on how parent participation can …

Cultural Proficiency: The Missing Link To Student Learning, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This case illustrates why school leaders must be culturally proficient to serve all students and lead effectively. I discuss one case in Ohio that is representative of many other American schools. In particular, I examine the cultural challenges educational leaders must commonly face. This case encourages administrators to participate in meaningful conversations with stakeholders to solve complex issues. The hope is to better understand how school leaders in diverse contexts can lead and embrace different cultures, beliefs, and norms. I also pose questions designed to prepare educational leaders for similar situations where they must address issues of culture.

Parent Perspectives On Youth Sport Concussion Management, Corinne M. Daprano, Susan C. Davies, Elana R. Bernstein

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Concussions are one of the most discussed health concerns at all levels of sport. While much of this discussion focuses on football and the National Football League (NFL), there is growing awareness in the sport community that the risks of concussions extend to head injuries in all sports. Much remains unknown about youth concussions, particularly in terms of how parents feel about concussions and youth sport safety regulations. The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ perceptions and attitudes toward youth sport concussions. Results indicated that despite increased awareness and education there remain gaps in parental knowledge of concussions …

A Qualitative Examination Of College Disability Services For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Susan C. Davies, Michael R. Crenshaw, Elana R. Bernstein

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Adolescents and young adults are at relatively high risk for sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These injuries can result in persistent disabilities, including a range of cognitive, physical, and social-emotional deficits that can be particularly challenging for college age students. This qualitative study explored disability services for college students with TBIs through interviews with directors of 18 college Offices of Disability Services (ODS). Respondents provided general information regarding their service model, the most common disabilities served, as well as the number of students with TBI served, and more specific information pertaining to services for students with TBI. Results indicated ODS …

Critical Discourse Analysis And Critical Qualitative Inquiry: Data Analysis Strategies For Enhanced Understanding Of Inference And Meaning, Mary Ziskin

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes an approach to critical qualitative data analysis that combines (1) Carspecken’s critical qualitative methodological framework (1996; 2012) with (2) the conceptual resources of critical discourse analysis (CDA), as framed by Fairclough (2003, 2016) and colleagues (Chouliaraki & Fairclough, 1999; Fairclough & Wodak, 1997). Carspecken’s methodological theory illuminates the connection between sociopolitical power and culture by introducing the content of validity claims into analysis of discourse. In turn, CDA helps to support the analysis of validity claims in that these are often expressed or legitimated through implicit references, and through the rhetoric, shape, or tone of what is …

Effects Of Service Projects On The Perceived Skills Of Engineering Technology Students, Philip Appiah-Kubi, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Client based service projects offer many advantages to instructors, students and host communities. However, instructors must carefully choose the projects in order to achieve the benefits that come with this pedagogical tool. The purpose of this research was to investigate the perception of engineering technology students on how different service projects influence performance and perceived skills. A modified perceived skill model was used to measure the perceived effect of the team based service projects on: motivation to learn, contribution to research knowledge, skills and personal benefit, and project as a learning device. The projects were either client based or non-client …

Lessons Learned From Observing Teaching Practices: The Case Of Ghana, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for providing a quality education for all by 2030. In order to achieve the SDGs and improve educational outcomes globally, it is essential to understand what teaching strategies teachers use and to comprehend if students are learning. The purpose of this study is 1) to understand what teaching pedagogies Ghanaian teachers use in their Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPSs); and 2) to determine whether students stay on task. Using the Stallings Snapshot Observation instrument, the researchers observed 19 class periods in numerous grades in four schools. Findings reveal that the teachers used a combination of …