Education Commons^™

Small Rural School Districts In Nebraska: A Case Study Of Challenges And Solutions, Michael R. Montgomery

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to determine the problems faced by small, rural Nebraska school districts. For this study, 15 possible challenges were identified (a) student enrollment, (b) instructional programs, (c) instructional support services, (d) extra curricular activities, (e) hiring and retaining administrative staff, (f) hiring and retaining teaching staff, (g) hiring and retaining non-certified staff, (h) building and grounds, (i) transportation services, (j) food services, (k) school finances, (l) student assessment, (m) accountability school performance, (n) family support, and (o) community support. There were no data on this topic for the state of Nebraska. The case for this …

Getting Families Involved In Students’ Education Through Home Visits At Midwestern Charter Schools, Hakan Solak

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Home visits are a model of communication after school time when school staff members actually go into students homes to foster a relationship among students, families, and teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how home visits take place in a single charter school and how families are involved in the educational process of students at Midwestern Charter Schools.

Thirteen participants from Chicago Math and Science Academia (CMSA) were interviewed via an open-ended questionnaire. Additionally, two home visit observations were made by the primary investigator in the natural setting of the homes of two students. Through this …

Teacher Collaboration As Professional Development In A Large, Suburban High School, Marlie L. Williams

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study explored the impact of teacher collaboration in a professional learning communities (PLC) school on teacher self-efficacy. Through the collection and analysis of personal interview data from 20 teachers in a large, suburban Midwestern high school, the impact of structured teacher collaboration was evaluated for its impact on changes in teachers’ instructional practices, their feelings of responsibility for student learning, positive adult interdependence, and changes in teacher self-efficacy. Experts in educational professional development identify the importance of sustained, collegial learning. This study explored the structure of one high school’s professional collaboration model, the measures in place for goal-setting, …

Building Leadership: The Knowledge Of Principals In Creating Collaborative Communities Of Professional Learning, Chad M. Dumas

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research literature is replete with the importance of collaboration in schools, the lack of its implementation, the centrality of the role of the principal, and the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice--or a "Knowing-Doing Gap." In other words, there is a set of knowledge that principals must know in order to create a collaborative workplace environment for teachers. This study sought to describe what high school principals know about creating such a culture of collaboration.

The researcher combed journal articles, studies and professional literature in order to identify what principals must know in order to create a culture …