Education Commons^™

The Influence Of Independent Secondary School Heads On Shaping Organizational Culture, Ian D. Macphail

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the experiences and connections between head of school leadership and culture in small, independent boarding schools in New England. This study was the result of the participation of eight heads of school from eight separate institutions, engaging in semi-structured interviews. All of the schools were secular in their practice, all-gender, and had a formal dormitory-based boarding program. Each school enrolled 400 or fewer students, focusing the impact of these leaders on a tighter, interactional lens. This study explored a relatively under-researched area of K-12 education and used exploratory, qualitative methods to gather the stories of these formal …

Perceptions Of Elementary School Principals Regarding Strategies To Build Trust Among Staff To Support Positive Change, Laurel Cole

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Trust is essential between elementary school principals and teachers, for it is a necessary ingredient in well-functioning organizations, especially schools. The problem addressed in this phenomenological study was the lack of practical strategies for principals to build trust with teachers effectively and efficiently to facilitate positive change and, ultimately, to support student achievement. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand how elementary school principals can quickly build trust with their teachers to facilitate positive change. Through the literature review, the researcher examined historical definitions of trust and early trust studies, the creation of trust and strategies for …

Schooling Black Males: Hegemonic Discourses, Structural Barriers, And Strategic Resistance, Cleo Wadley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black males have scored at the lowest levels of academic achievement compared to other racial groups in many Texas school districts. The achievement gap for this population of students has been explained by both material constraints and oppressive hegemonic discourses. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how such barriers and discourses affected these students and how the students negotiated their experiences in school. This study was designed to describe the problem, its background and to discuss a relevant theoretical framework. This study examined the academic achievement data for Black males and the current literature on adverse …

Leading With Heart: How Exemplary K-5 Principals Demonstrate Transformational Leadership Through Heart-Based Practices, Teresa Hubbard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-5 principals in Southern California lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their schools.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological methodology to study the behaviors of elementary principals. This study, due to current Covid restrictions, included virtual one-on-one interviews that were held via the Zoom online platform. The data collected included audio and video recordings, written transcripts, and artifacts from school …

Teacher And Staff Perception Of School Climate: A Case Study, Michael Shane Hampton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how different public-school teachers and staff perceive school climate at an achieving public middle school. The research sought to find relationships between teacher sub-groups and other staff members, and how they perceived the school climate, either negatively or positively. The researcher believed that there would be a positive perception of school climate, which coincided with high student achievement. Additionally, it was believed that there would be no relationship between teacher types or demographics, and how the climate would be perceived among the different groups. This paper also presents a review of the …

An Investigation Of The Experiences Of New Teachers And Their Reasons To Stay In The Classroom, Jessa N. Mcentire

Honors Theses

New teacher attrition rates have increased over the years. Twenty percent of new teachers will leave the profession after three years. That number increases to forty-four percent after five years of teaching. For those just entering the profession, these numbers can be daunting. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons for this departure and what actions schools employ to help lessen this attrition rate. After screening four teachers to gain a general insight into their experiences, eight teachers with a similar educational background were selected for additional interviews. This study was intended to determine how much of …

Administrative Cost Reimbursement Online, Luciano Mogorovic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Administrative Cost Reimbursement (ACR) is a program funded by the state of Ohio that reimburses non-public elementary and high schools for having employees perform a series of mandated activities. ACR Consultants is a company that collects data from schools that contains the amount of time each teacher spent on any of the mandated activities. The president of ACR Consultants is a neighbor and longtime family friend. Currently, to collect the time data, the company goes to each school it services and gives each teacher a large paper spreadsheet for them to fill in with the amount of time they spend …

The Missouri Student Transfer Program, Howard E. Fields Iii

Dissertations

In 1993, the state of Missouri passed the Outstanding Schools Act. This law was created as a means to ensure that “all children will have quality educational opportunities, regardless of where in Missouri they live.” Section 167.131 of this law states that an unaccredited district must pay the tuition and transportation cost for students who attend an accredited school in the same or adjoining district. This portion of the law became known as the Student Transfer Program.

The Riverview Gardens School District (RGSD) was one of three unaccredited school districts in the state of Missouri in 2013. With close to …

Administrator Perception Of Management Skills Comparing Traditionally And Alternatively Certified Teachers, Candi Lynn Ring

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Within the scientific literature there has been no examination of teacher preparation regarding classroom and behavior management skills comparing educators who obtained traditional teacher certification through a university-based education program and those who obtained alternative certification. Consequently, the goal of this study was to assess administrator perceptions of teacher effectiveness in managing the classroom and student behavior across four domains.
By identifying the group with more effective classroom and behavior management skills, school-based administrators will be able to implement the necessary professional learning to proactively minimize management issues from occurring with future educators, as well as close the gap among …

Novice And Veteran Teachers’ Perceptions Of Crisis Management Training Concerning School Fights, Heather Ann Chesman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the data collected from 7-12 grade middle/junior high teachers and high school teachers to determine whether there was a difference between veteran and novice teachers’ perceptions that they are adequately trained to respond to student versus student fights. This study included an introduction and a literature review about crisis management training. The study also included methodology, research results, conclusions, recommendations for policy makers and practitioners, and recommendations for future research.

The researcher developed a survey instrument to examine the veteran and novice teachers’ perceptions about crisis management training concerning school fights. Data …

The Effects Of An Evidence-Based Food Allergy Management Plan To Keep Children With Food Allergies Safe At School, Scarlet R. Spain

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The prevalence of food allergies in children has increased 18% between 1997 and 2007 (CDC, 2013). Furthermore, 84% of food allergic children will experience a reaction at school (Powers, Bergren, & Finnegan, 2007). An exposure in a sensitive child may progress quickly into potentially life threatening symptoms and death if not treated. The purpose of this evidence based practice (EBP) project was to determine if implementation of a food allergy management policy in a school setting reduced overall incidence rates of food allergy reactions in school children and to examine compliance to policy guidelines. The project encompassed implementation of a …

Increasing School Commitment By Listening To Veteran Teachers' Needs And Concerns, Carrie Mcatee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role that support systems play in new teachers' levels of school commitment has been widely documented. However, veteran teachers' levels of commitment have not been as closely studied. According to the department of education in a Southeastern state, the veteran teacher attrition rate at a Title I school in an urban school district was in the double digits for several years. High veteran teacher attrition rates and low levels of commitment can cause problems such as loss of continuity of instruction for students. The purpose of this study was to identify veteran teachers' perceptions of their levels of school …

Exploring A Paperless Business Administrative System (Bas) Implementation In A K-12 School, Marwan M. Issa

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how a paperless BAS can affect the overall performance of a school’s administrative activities. The research included direct observation, survey questionnaires, document review, and both structured and unstructured interviews.

The selected school, a K-12 charter school, was an ideal candidate for this study as it allowed unrestricted access. The effects of the move to a paperless BAS were overwhelmingly positive. These effects included enabling employees to complete their resource requests more speedily and accurately. The implementation also incorporated “smart” forms that did not allow users to submit incomplete forms. Employees …

An Administrator’S Guide To Modular Scheduling In The Secondary Schools, Larry E. Norwood

All Master's Theses

This study assumes interest and recognition by administrators of the profound need for organizational change. The study will attempt to utilize the experiences of schools experimenting with modular scheduling in order to establish guidelines for administrators who wish to promote innovative scheduling in their own districts. It is the purpose of this study to show that modular scheduling is possible and can offer added benefits for any school district.