Education Commons^™

Distributed Leadership Practices Of Elementary And Secondary School Administrators In The State Of Washington, Kelly A. Raymond

WWU Graduate School Collection

The positive impact of an effective school administrator cannot be understated. Research on leadership practices highlights the efficacy of distributed leadership for positive student outcomes and teacher satisfaction especially after the challenges of the pandemic. However, further research is required to understand how principals implement distributed leadership practices and the differences across school levels. The purpose of the study was to examine the engagement of elementary and secondary school administrators in the State of Washington in distributed leadership practices. Utilizing the Distributed Leadership Readiness Scale, perceptions of distributed leadership engagement were assessed across four dimensions: mission, vision, and culture; leadership …

The Power Of Place-Based/Outdoor Education In A Rural District: Effective Leadership To Increase Learning, Engagement, And Belonging Through Place-Based Education, Mary Sewright

WWU Graduate School Collection

The research for this qualitative bounded case study on place-based/outdoor education in Mount Baker School District focused on fourth through sixth grades. The research was done mainly through interviews collecting the voices of 37 students including 16 fourth graders, 11 fifth graders, and 10 sixth graders. Twenty of those students were boys and 17 were girls. A total of nine District staff were interviewed including seven teachers and two administrators. Leaders at each of our Community-Based Organizations from Common Threads Farm, Wild Whatcom, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Camp Saturna, North Cascades Institute, and Whatcom Environmental Education Coalition making up our …

Equitable Access To The Career And Technical Education Graduation Pathway For Students Receiving Special Education Services, Mike Snow

WWU Graduate School Collection

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the access of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduation pathway for students who receive special education services in a selected school district. Analyzing the course taking of three cohorts of high school students, who had individualized education plans, involved a deep dive into each one of their transcripts. This type of analysis enabled me to compare and contrast the course taking between students served in special education who lost an elective opportunity to receive additional IEP services to those who did not. Did the students who lost an elective …

The Impact Of Mentorship On Attracting And Sustaining Female Superintendents In The State Of Washington, Michelle Kuss-Cybula

WWU Graduate School Collection

Female superintendents continue to make up a small fraction of public-school superintendents in this country. This study focused on gathering stories of current female superintendents in the state of Washington, all of whom are within their first three years of their superintendency to determine the extent to which mentoring had an impact on their career path leading into the superintendency role and the impact of mentoring in sustaining their role as a seated superintendent.

This qualitative study focused on five essential questions:

• What kinds of mentoring do female school superintendents experience on their pathway to becoming chief executive of a …

Aahkóinnimaan Kii Makoyiisaaminaa: Indigenous Success In La Conner Public Schools, William Makoyiisaaminaa

WWU Graduate School Collection

In relationship with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community using an Indigenous research paradigm listening to stories and lived experiences resulted in narratives of Swinomish students attending La Conner Public Schools in La Conner, Washington. The purpose and research questions were generated through focus group interviews of Swinomish Indian Tribal Community elders, family members, parents, and educators. In other focus groups and individual interviews, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community elders, family members, parents, educators, and high school seniors, share their experiences at La Conner Public Schools. Their stories tell the reader the factors that contribute to successful experiences while sharing the barriers …

“Make The Big Time Where You Are” Applying The Coaching Principles Of Frosty Westering To Build A Culture Of Success, Steven Stoker

WWU Graduate School Collection

Building a culture that allows sustained success is the goal of any organization. While an organization may have a period of success, few have sustained success. In some cases, however, success is sustained. This is the case for the Pacific Lutheran University football team under the leadership of head coach Frosty Westering. As the head football coach, Frosty Westering won four national titles. He is also a member of the college football hall of fame. How did he continue to be successful over time? This study attempts to answer that question.

A qualitative, multiple case study research methodology with a …

School And District Leader Perceptions Of The Root Causes Behind Male Underachievement In American Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study Of This Phenomenon, Patrick Hegarty

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Title IX legislation of 1972 asserts that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, ..” This, along with other movements and forces of the past half century, laid the foundation for our ongoing challenging, national dialogue about individuality, identity, opportunity, equality, and equity. This study advances that conversation based on the continuing evidence of male underachievement in our secondary schools.

The purpose of this study was to explore school …

The Policy Governance Leadership Model: A Qualitative Historical Narrative Study About Bellingham School District’S Implementation Of Policy Governance And The Impact On Student Success, Byron Gerard

WWU Graduate School Collection

Policy Governance is a leadership model developed in the 1970s by Dr. John Carver. It has been adopted by the boards and CEOs of numerous business organizations and is gaining popularity among public school superintendents and school boards. Policy Governance creates specific roles and responsibilities for the board and the superintendent, allowing them to work together toward targeted outcomes referred to as Ends. The Bellingham School District adopted Policy Governance in 2010 and has experienced qualitative and quantitative success using this governance structure. This study will provide literature research coupled with the experiences and testimonies of the current and past …

Factors Affecting Indigenous Student Motivation In K-12 Public Schools In British Columbia, Duane Penner

WWU Graduate School Collection

Many Indigenous Tribes within Canada, such as the Sto: Lo and Matsqui First Nations in British Columbia, with whom I work alongside in the Abbotsford School District, have struggled since the time of first contact and colonization to preserve and defend their culture and values. It is through truth, reconciliation, and the hope of working together that we may find common ground moving forward within our society. This research study considered Indigenous peoples’ narratives through interview questions and stories. The research question was what are factors that motivate student success in K-12 public schools in British Columbia, Canada? A small …

Educating Adolescent Ukrainian War Refugees: Current Practices And Recommendations To Address Complex Learning Needs, Eric Cahan

WWU Graduate School Collection

This research is important due to the thousands of Ukrainian war refugees seeking their education in the U.S. with limited English language proficiency and having likely experienced some ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) leading many to have some levels of trauma. This reality has resulted in MLL (Multi-Language Learner) educators needing support to identify effective classroom approaches. This qualitative research took a phenomenological approach utilizing constant comparison methods and triangulation to code the data and come to conclusions and recommendations. The results of the data show a need for a trauma screener for Ukrainian war refugee students, as well as a …

The Impact Of Guiding Coalitions On The Overall Success Of Schools Properly Implementing And Sustaining Professional Learning Communities, John Lombardi

WWU Graduate School Collection

The role of the school administrator and teacher leadership has become increasingly embedded within education. Extensive research and literature suggests teacher leaders are critical in reforming schools. Strong professional learning communities (PLCs) recognize that teacher leadership development must be a purposeful and formal component of their culture. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the impact of having or not having a guiding coalition (GC) on the overall success of schools properly implementing and sustaining PLCs.

This study explored the perceptions of secondary school administrators throughout Washington State on the five dimensions of PLCs as delineated by the …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Two School Districts’ Onboarding And Retention Mentorship Programs For New Teachers During The Covid‐19 Pandemic, Angelina Quiles

WWU Graduate School Collection

Every year, districts welcome new teachers to a school community and prepare them for the new school year. Establishing and maintaining a strong school culture is an important and vital part of a teacher's job. Part of this preparation entails hiring, training, and retaining the best teachers to establish a framework for ensuring that new teachers hit the ground running from the first day of school (Howard, 2019). This qualitative research case study focused on the onboarding and retention mentorship program for new teachers in two school districts in Washington State. This case study focused on two districts’ onboarding and …

Honors Peer Mentorship: A Guide To Sustaining Community In The Institution, Silvia Leija Rosas

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Honors Peer Mentors are trained to be welcoming and reliable sources of community for incoming students of color in the Honors College; offer constructive opportunities and solutions for perceived problems; and listen to, support, and encourages the mentee. There are also benefits in being a peer mentor. A primary goal of the Honors Peer Mentor Team is to increase support for incoming Honors students from underrepresented backgrounds and facilitate connections with cross-campus partners, including the Ethnic Student Center, Student Advocacy and Identity Resource Center, LGBTQ+, Disability Outreach Center, mental health resources, Academic Advising, Career Services, etc This paper is both …

Stories Of Social Justice Educators And Raising Children In The Face Of Injustice, James Wright, Amanda U. Potterton

Journal of Educational Controversy

This article examines life stories of the authors, who are parents and social justice scholars and educators from different races and backgrounds. The authors consider the emotional process of personally and collectively coping with and navigating parenting and sharing critical truths with their children in the current social, political, and cultural environment and in light of recent assaults on communities of color. They employ life history methodology to explicitly continue a critical conversation that was started by Matias and Montoya (2015) about Critical Race Parenting, and they encourage other scholars, particularly those who are parents, to think about, and articulate, …