Education Commons^™

Comparison Of Dual Enrollment Student Grades In Introductory Biology College Dual-Enrollment Courses Taken In Texas High Schools Or Colleges For School Leaders, Cynthia A. Gallardo

School Leadership Review

Dual Enrollment (DE) or Dual Credit (DC) programs have become increasingly prevalent at both the high school and college settings. These programs enable students to earn both high school and college credit and get a head start on their college education. Additionally, students in these programs must take university core curriculum courses to fulfill their college education requirements. A course that several students take is Introductory to Biology, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) course. This course is an introductory science course and may present a challenge for students in that there is a large quantity of material discussed. …

Experiential Leadership Learning: Narratives Of A Multiple Case Study Of Mexican School Leaders Appointed To Indigenous Schools, Manuel Lopez-Delgado, Argelia Estrada-Loya

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Training and preparation of school leaders have an impact on the quality of leadership displayed in their readiness for the leadership practice. However, in Mexico the training and preparation processes for school leaders are unclear and lack uniformity. The way of access to headship has promoted that school leaders learn to lead in their role without previous preparation for the position. This paper presents the findings of a study conducted through narratives that analyzed the leadership learning processes of novice and experienced school leaders. The study identified important learning experiences as the receptive observation, malleable observation, practical experiences of leadership, …

The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Development In Principal Efficacy, Lorine Olivarez Bazan

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, public schools have seen an increase in obstacles and challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and school leaders have had to pivot and adjust to meet these ever-changing demands (McLeod & Dulsky, 2021). Principals in today’s schools have had to discover new and innovative ways to successfully lead, motivate and support their school communities. This emerging leadership includes the leader’s ability to utilize emotional intelligence and leadership skills effectively and intentionally.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to take a deeper look at investigating the school principal’s utilization of emotional intelligence and effective leadership skills. This …

Impact Of School Leaders’ Actions On Teachers And Their Practices, Dinara Metova

Dissertations

School leaders play a vital role in teachers' performance; while some leaders create an environment conducive to learning, collaboration, and achievement, others inadvertently contribute to teacher attrition and educational disparities. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of school leaders' actions on teachers and their practices. The context of this inquiry includes two stakeholder groups: 582 school leaders and 1,054 teachers from all 50 states who are members of Facebook Educator Groups. I implemented a mixed methods design by researching scholarly articles and using qualitative and quantitative survey data to find the most effective school leader practices …

Qualitative Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study: The Lived Experiences Of School Leaders Who Have Worked Through A Merger, Olga Nelly Collazo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of school leaders who worked through the processes of school mergers in New York State. The central research question that guided the study was: What are the lived experiences of school leaders who worked through the processes of a school merger? In addition, guiding questions were implemented to understand the phenomenon of school mergers. The guiding questions are: How do school leaders maneuver and manage the organizational structures impacted by the processes of a school merger? What role do school leaders play in the environmental demands influencing the processes of a …

Building Collaborative Systems To Support Elementary School Principals In Ensuring All Students Flourish, Kristen Brach Ms.

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan addresses the problem of practice of how a district leader can support elementary school leaders in a small, rural school district to work towards improving their schools to become more culturally responsive and meet the needs of all students. Historically, there have been many students, particularly those who have been underserved, who have not had a positive school experience that considers their identity and learning needs. Schools have been unsuccessful at being places that accept all learners and strive to ensure that they are able to grow and flourish. Although there are some classrooms that are …

A Phenomenology Of Teachers’ Experiences With School Leaders On Workplace Motivation, Samantha Berger Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental qualitative phenomenological study examined how 10 teachers experienced workplace motivation from school leaders at one kindergarten – eighth-grade school in northern Virginia. The theory guiding this study was Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, as it explains the relationship between the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence workplace motivation. The motivation-hygiene theory provided the theoretical framework for this study to answer the central research question and sub-questions: (a) How do teachers who interact with school leaders experience workplace motivation; (b) What experiences, if any, with school leaders have promoted workplace motivation; (c) What experiences, if any, with school leaders have decreased …

What Keeps Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Teaching?, Kimberley Rodriguez

All NMU Master's Theses

Currently, staff shortages exist in all areas of education. In the field of special education, there are sub-groups of teachers and classrooms, each with unique challenges. This study explores the experiences of teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disability in order to identify important retention factors specific to them. In this qualitative, phenomenological study, the researcher conducted four, one-on-one interviews to discover the district-related factors shared by teachers of students with ASD when considering staying or leaving their current position. Interview responses were categorized into the four themes critical to teacher retention according to the four capital theory …

Building School Leaders' Capacity To Challenge Anti-Black Racism In Schools, Susie Lee-Fernandes

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) was developed based on a problem of practice (PoP) in the Green District School Board (GDSB) related to equity leadership, and building the capacity and efficacy of school leaders to address anti-Black racism in K-12 schools. Despite efforts to create more equitable and inclusive classrooms, Ontario schools continue to display achievement gaps and negative outcomes for Black students, including streaming into courses below their abilities, harsher discipline, and higher push out and suspension rates compared to that of their peers. Feeling of isolation, lack of engagement and teacher connection further exacerbate the racial trauma and …

Educating And Advocating: A Professional Responsibility For School Leaders And School Counselors, Jessica Lane, Donna Augustine-Shaw, Melanie Scott

The Advocate

While educators are tasked with many competing professional responsibilities, it is necessary that the focus of advocacy for student well-being stay at the forefront. In particular, for school counselors and school leaders, advocating has never been more important. This article will highlight the role of advocacy found within the professional standards for school counselors and school leaders, and shine light on the need to advocate for social-emotional learning.

The Effects Of Leading With Empathy On Faculty Morale In A Montessori Setting, Andrea O'Brian

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

"The purpose of this action research was to study whether a change of actions in school leadership, specifically leading with empathy, would effect faculty morale in a Montessori school. There is a common understanding that actions of school leadership are critical to creating a positive work environment. From the literature reviewed, while there are many factors that influence the morale of faculty, the actions of school leadership had the most significant impact and were also the simplest to implement in terms of cost and resources. The theory of servant leadership provided a framework for this research because it supports my …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Dual Leadership In Chinese Schools Challenges Executive Principalships As Best Fit For 21st Century Educational Development, Christine Cunningham, Wei Zhang, Michelle Striepe, David Rhodes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper examines China's dual leadership model and compares it with the more traditional (western) single leader model. It addresses an important question in educational leadership: whether singular school leadership or a dual leadership is better? It is innovative as it mobilised an international research team to collect data from 115 Chinese school leaders and compare China's dual leadership with faith-based schools in other contexts. Given so much now is written about distributed leadership within and across schools, this paper offers valuable insights, especially for readers interested in the educational leadership practices of a rising global power.

An Exploration Of How School Leaders Make Decisions About Music Programs In Suburban Schools, Xavier Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the decision-making processes involved with deciding the funding and framing of music programs in three suburban school districts in the New York metropolitan area. School leaders were interviewed to understand the factors associated with the decision-making process. The findings helped to understand educational leaders’ perceptions, how programs changed over time, and the different actions that were taken. Key educators and school leaders from three school districts in the suburban New York Metropolitan area were interviewed. The participants from each school district included a district school leader, a building school leader, a school finance leader, …

Using Design Thinking As An Instrument For School Improvement And Innovation In Public Schools, Beth Emery Peterson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Design thinking, a creative problem-solving method in which the end user is an active member of the design team, has historically been used in business and industry, but school leaders are beginning to use the process in education settings. This multiple-case study examined the experiences of two public school leaders who used design thinking for continuous improvement initiatives or to spur innovation in their school or district. Through interviews, the school leaders shared their purposes, outcomes, challenges, and insights of using design thinking to address complex educational problems. Results indicate that design thinking is appropriate to use for continuous improvement …

Fighting For Justice In Education: How Schools Can Lead The Change Towards A More Equitable World, Tara Kirton

Occasional Paper Series

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine the world anew. This one is no different” (Roy, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has had tremendous implications for every aspect of life. School, work, celebrations and everyday social interactions have all felt the repercussions of the pandemic. While the shutdown called for an immediate pivot from our everyday ways of being, it has also provided opportunities for stillness and deep reflection. This moment of pause has provided an opportunity to think, speak and act differently. As a parent my hope is that educators will lead the change.

The Culturally Intelligent School Leader: Leadership Strategies Of Exemplary Elementary School Principals In Creating A Culture Of Inclusiveness, Leila Dodge

Dissertations

Purpose: It is the purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary school principals use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy's five leadership qualities of cultural differences.

Methodology: For this study, an explanatory mixed-method design was used to conduct research to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary school principals use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy's five leadership qualities of cultural differences. The study's quantitative part was conducted using a SurveyMonkey delivered to each participant. In the survey, participants were asked if they …

Onward And Upward: A Phenomenological Study Of School Leaders As They Prepare To Lead And Manage Change, Amy Elisabeth Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of school leaders as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change. The central research question that guided this study is: What are the experiences of school leaders in Virginia as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change? The theoretical framework that guided this study was Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning as it applies to how school leaders incorporate new learning about how to lead and manage change with their own experiences and understandings. The design was a transcendental phenomenological study of school leaders in …

Infographic: Principal Demographics, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The annual Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey collects information on the experiences of school leaders and their state of health and wellbeing. Part of the survey includes collecting demographic data on survey respondents. Here, we look at the age distribution of over 1800 respondents in 2020.

Relationship Between Servant Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction And Retention, Morgan Stamschror

Counselor Education Capstones

Effective school leaders are vital to the success of a school. The leadership style of a school leader, specifically principals, affects teacher satisfaction and retention. Servant leadership is a well-known leadership style in the business and organizational psychology field but has applications in the education setting as well. This report discusses how principals can be servant-leaders by putting others first and themselves second. As a result, teacher job satisfaction and retention are affected. Therefore, it is important for educators to learn how principals can most effectively lead teachers and other support staff. Training and professional development opportunities are essential for …

Principal Pipeline Development In Ghana: A Look At Komenda Edina Eguafo Abriem (Keea) District In The Central Region, Eunice A. Turkson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

There is no doubt that principals’ roles are important in setting the direction for successful schools, however, current knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly qualified and effective school leaders is sparse (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Mendels, 2012). As such, the recognition of the importance of school leaders in teaching and learning coupled with a growing shortage of high-quality leaders in American schools, increased the interest in leadership development as a major reform strategy (Darling-Hammond et al., 2007). The investment of tremendous amount of time and resources on school leadership therefore help them to …

The Relationship Between Career And Technical Education Enrollment And College And Career Readiness Outcomes, Daniel Soliz Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College and career readiness for K-12 students has become a priority of legislatures and educational leaders in the United States. In recent years, Texas public school leaders have emphasized the importance of maximizing the percentage of College, Career and Military Ready (CCMR) graduates. The specific problem studied was that a low percentage of students in Texas, in comparison to the state’s graduation rate, graduate with a CCMR distinction. Career and Technical Education (CTE), a component of K-12 education, can assist school leaders in maximizing college and career readiness for students. However, it was not clear how within schools, CTE enrollment …

A Qualitative Case Study On Principal Perceptions Of Responsibilities, Preparation, And Training And Their Effect On Retention, Karlene Crawford

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The focus of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the differences in school leadership responsibilities, preparation, and training of traditional public school principals and charter school principals and their effect on principal retention. The study included five principals from traditional public schools and five principals from charter schools in North Carolina. This study had four main findings: (a) Traditional public school principals have more student discipline responsibilities, while charter school principals engage in more instructional leadership; (b) All principals spent most of each workday responding in a managerial capacity to emerging stakeholder needs or, in …

The Effect Of Principal Leadership On Student Achievement: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis, Huang Wu

Dissertations

Principal leadership has been widely considered as a significant factor for school improvement and student learning. However, there are discrepancies among previous findings and controversies on both the magnitude and nature of the relationship between principal leadership and student achievement. The purpose of this study is to further the understanding of whether and how principal leadership influences student achievement.

This study is a systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of 42 empirical studies about principal leadership’s effects on student achievement, generated during the period between 2000 and 2020 in the United States. There were three parts for the analyses: (a) a …

The Partnership Imperative For Preparing Effective Principals In North Carolina Schools, Martinette Horner, Derrick D. Jordan

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The extant literature highlights the impact principals have on daily operations, visioning, school climate, academic programming, instructional monitoring, and numerous other areas. The need for well-trained principals at the helm of schools, particularly those with large concentrations of at-risk students, has been identified as a critically important factor in improving academic outcomes. Underdeveloped leaders often struggle to improve schools and are unable to show adequate progress among the students they serve. They are also more prone to early burnout, increasing turnover rates. As such, the need to strengthen principal preparation programs has become even more evident in recent years. A …

Infographic: Principal Wellbeing – Sources Of Stress And Support, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The latest Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey reveals 19 sources of stress for school leaders. In this infographic, we look at the top 10 sources of stress reported by school leaders, and their top 5 sources of support.

Leadership Perspectives On The Financial Sustainability Of Non-Orthodox Jewish Day Schools In Toronto, Seth Goldsweig

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how Jewish school leaders in Toronto understand non-Orthodox Jewish day school financial sustainability. A review of literature included: (a) a multidisciplinary understanding of “sustainability”, (b) a history of Jewish education in North America, (c) challenges and potential solutions to financial sustainability of Jewish day schools in North America, and (d) the evolution of the school leader and its impact on financial sustainability. This multi-site case study used a questionnaire, completed by 23 school leaders, and one-on-one interviews with all eight heads of school of the non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in Toronto …

Infographic: Principals’ Working Time, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The latest cycle of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018) asked principals in Australia about the time they allocated to various tasks throughout the year, including curriculum-and teaching-related tasks and meetings, administrative tasks and meetings, and student interactions. This infographic takes a look at the results.

Book Excerpt: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers – The Heroes Of Real India, S Giridhar

Teacher India

In his book ‘Ordinary people, extraordinary teachers’, S Giridhar describes how teachers in government schools are determined to work beyond the call of duty based on a strong belief that ‘every child can learn’.

Virginia Standards Of Accreditation: A Case Study Of Sensemaking And Policy Implementation In A School District, Shana Nicole Remian

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between how school leaders at both the district and school level make sense of a policy change and how that understanding affects implementation. Specifically, this study explores how different factors affect individual sensemaking and the effect that has on policy implementation. Using an embedded case study methodology, data were collected through sixteen, semi-structured interviews. Additionally, field observations and document analysis were conducted to triangulate the data. Data were coded and analyzed to determine three major categories--policy ambiguity, internal and external factors, and communication. These three categories were integrated to form …