Education Commons^™

Professional Learning Communities: Structures And Implementation For Small Middle Schools And Singleton Teachers, Gerrie Aulisa

Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities are essential to building interdependent collaborative teacher teams to elevate teaching and learning for students. One struggle with implementing PLCs comes about when you have singleton teachers who do not have a colleague who teaches the same grade and content as them. This study reviewed the research-based PLC implementation strategies used at one small middle school. The main research question was: How can PLCs work effectively for small middle schools and singleton teachers? Other related questions were:

● How can PLCs feel relevant to our elective area teachers?

● What determines a successful PLC?

● Should middle …

Politics, Policies, And Procedures: The Iron Triangle Of Implementing Education Reform, Clint Reardon Jr

Honors College Theses

Education is often seen as a living thing, something that should grow and change with time. However, for far too many people who experience education from both within the school structure and for those who experience education from outside the school structure it can often seem like the educational system is stagnate, dying, and in some cases dead. One shared reason for this perception is perceived barriers in education that stifle creativity and allow educational systems to grow, adapt, and change to meet the needs of the students they serve. This study set out to identify what those barriers are …

Navigating New Frontiers: A Narrative Of Cte Administrators Leading Rural Innovation, Claire Bass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public school districts play a pivotal role in the well-being of rural communities. To help mitigate the impact of labor market trends, societal shifts, and the skilled labor shortage, rural schools are in the initial stages of expanding innovative career pathways. As such, career and technical education (CTE) administrators serve their rural communities by facilitating robust career pathways to support local labor markets. Due to a skilled labor shortage, a declining labor force participation rate, and a rapidly evolving labor market, there is a lack of qualified and certified personnel to fill industry jobs (Davis et al., 2022). School districts …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Leadership In Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Wesam Alshahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases.

In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education …

The Influence Of The Principalship In Retaining Novice Teachers, Casey Whittle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of the qualitative descriptive study was to understand novice teachers’ perspectives of principal behaviors that keep them employed in a North Texas school district. A purposive sample of 12 novice secondary teachers and six secondary principals participated in semistructured interviews. The individual interviews were recorded and transcribed. In vivo coding and structural coding were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study confirmed that participants in the study believed certain behaviors of secondary principals influenced novice teacher retention. Novice teacher participants expressed a need to trust their principal and fit into the principal’s vision and …

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

Leading Through A Trauma-Informed Lens, Taylor Van Clay

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper examined research on what is necessary for leaders to lead and create a school culture that supports students through a trauma-informed lens. This research looked for findings from multiple quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies which examined the importance of effective leadership, the necessity of professional development for educators, and the implementation of trauma-informed practices that will lead to student success. The research revealed specific factors that lead to beneficial leadership outcomes along with interconnectedness of purposeful and ongoing professional development and implementation of trauma-informed practice due to the fact that response to student behaviors is not intuitive. …

Examining The Influence Of Adult Mentors On Fostering Prosocial Behaviors Among Teens, John H. Weaver Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addressed a critical public health concern stemming from the prevalence of antisocial behavior among U.S. teenagers. The study specifically tackled the lack of information regarding the components of an effective risk-reduction mentoring program for teens. The primary aim was to explore how young adult alums of a central Florida mentoring program articulated the influence of mentoring relationships that have shaped their attitudes and perceptions concerning prosocial behavior during adolescence. As a bounded qualitative case study, this research employed semistructured interviews with 11 young adult mentees from a mentoring program. Additionally, a focus group of five adult mentors who …

Cross-Linguistic Awareness In 90/10 Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs, Patricia Mondragón-Doty

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify, describe, and recommend the specific cross-linguistic connection instructional strategies that teachers in TWBI 90/10 programs have found to be most effective for fostering language and literacy development.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored how teachers of TWBI 90/10 programs perceived the use of specific cross-linguistic connection instructional strategies to better serve emergent bilingual learners (EBLs) and what implications cross-linguistic connections had on dual language instruction. To determine what best instructional strategies support bilingualism, biliteracy, academic achievement and cultural competence, in-depth semi structured interviews were conducted. Ten teachers were selected to …

Teaching Professionalism Skills To Secondary Students: An Improvement Science Dissertation On The Efficacy Of A Professionalism Skills System: An Improvement Science Study, James Weber

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This research provided Salem Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) with much-needed information on how to teach and grade secondary students on professional skills. The research was conducted at The Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem, Oregon. CTEC employs 35 staff members who serve 780 high school students. This research followed an improvement science dissertation in practice model (ISDiP) by implementing a 64-day Plan-Do- Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. A networked improvement community (NIC) met throughout the PDSA cycle to analyze and implement the research.

The NIC and CTEC staff developed a new system to teach, grade, and provide feedback on students' professional …

Examining The Relationship Between School Academic Optimism, Enabling School Structures, And Student Achievement In New Jersey Public Schools During The Post-Pandemic Period, Mark Schwarz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study investigated the relationships between student achievement and the school characteristics of academic optimism and enabling structures. Perceptual data were collected from a sample of 496 faculty members across 67 schools in 25 districts in northern NJ. These data were then merged with demographic and student achievement data from the New Jersey Department of Education for analysis through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study was modeled after prior studies outside of New Jersey and before the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The study found that enabling structures were well correlated with school academic optimism and that optimism, in turn, …

Does Mississippi School Principals’ Age, Race, Gender, Educational Attainment, Work Experience In Education, Or Evaluation Scores Influence Accountability Points?, Braxton Dywayne Stowe

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional research agrees that only effective school principals can fully influence student achievement, and school leaders are pivotal to the success of schools in America. Researchers have linked positive student outcomes to further illustrate the point, including student achievement, to high-quality school leadership. The purpose of this study is to assist state and district education leaders in Mississippi in having a more profound knowledge of which principal demographics and characteristics are more directly correlated with the improvement of accountability scores or student achievement. The results of the correlational and regression analysis to determine the relationship between principal variables and the …

Reflections Of Elementary Principals Leading Through Disruption And Crisis: An Exploration Of Pandemic Leadership, Nicole Renee Peterson

Dissertations

COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on schools across the globe. Educational leaders had to respond to executive orders quickly. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines focused on mandates regarding students’ and staff’s educational, health, and social-emotional needs. This study explored and described the experience and reflections of elementary principals and their staff members during this disruptive time in history.

This qualitative multiple case study involved the interviews of five elementary principals and staff focus groups from each of their buildings. The overarching research questions were: (a) How do principals describe, metacognitively process, and make meaning of their response …

Secondary Administrators' Perceptions Of Truancy Decriminalization In Texas: House Bill 2398, Mae Read

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Seven Campus Truancy Administrator's perceptions and lived experiences were investigated as they responded to mandated changes in Texas truancy policy and how effective the implemented Truancy Prevention Measures would be perceived on high school campuses located in Far West-Texas. Campus Truancy Administrators provided insight as to interpretation of policy on their individual campus; challenges associated with enforcement of truancy policy; the effectiveness of Truancy Prevention Measures; and how implementation of these measures resulted in additional changes pertaining to loss of credit; changing graduation rates; and enforcement of Truancy Prevention Measures on student groups exempted from court proceedings.The study found Campus …

Post-Pandemic Student Attendance, Becki Delloyd

Dissertations

Student attendance has been a national concern since the start of compulsory education in America; however, since the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance plummeted to never- before-seen attendance rates. Nationally, by the end of the 2021-2022 school year, nearly one in three students were absent 10% or more of the school year (Attendance Works, 2023). My 39-question survey conducted in two vastly different states between April and May of 2023 corroborated the national data and resulted in nearly one in three students being absent 10 or more school days in a year. Through my study, I explored parents’ perceptions of post-pandemic K–12 …

Administrators’ Perceptions Of Alternatives To Suspension In Virginia Urban Public Schools, Hayley Poland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of the use of alternatives to suspension of high school administrators in Virginia urban public schools. The phenomenological research design allowed better understanding of the participant’s view and perception of their use of alternatives to suspension. While there is research focusing on the use of alternatives to suspension, there has been little research in Virginia urban public schools on the perceptions of administrators on the use of alternatives to suspension. The framework this research study utilized to focus the data analysis was Social Learning Theory.

Data collection strategies included …

Professional Collaboration In Small Rural Schools: Teacher Perceptions Of The Role Of School Administrators, Brian A. Bettis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative research study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of school administrators’ support of collaborative planning in small rural schools. Although there has been much research conducted on teacher collaboration through Professional Learning Communities, there has been little documentation of teacher collaboration in small rural schools (DuFour et al., 2020; Hansen, 2015; Moore, 2018). This research study examined teachers’ perceptions of collaboration and the role that school administrators play in the work to establish, support, and maintain collaborative teaming structures.

Data collection strategies included individual interviews of practicing teachers, serving in small rural schools. Analysis of …

Make It Make Sense: An Exploratory Examination Of Teacher Sense Making Around Culturally Responsive Classroom Management, Ricardo Devon Robinson

All Dissertations

This study takes place at a middle school in Charleston County, South Carolina. The study examines how White women educators make sense of being exposed to the content in Don’t Let Them Be Misunderstood, a professional development about Culturally Responsive Classroom Management (CRCM). Guided by sensemaking theory and the dispositions of culturally responsive pedagogy, this exploratory study documents White women teachers’ responses to Don’t Let Them Be Misunderstood using multiple sources of data including semi-structured interviews, transcripts from the session, and transcripts from a post-exposure focus group. These data illustrate teacher’s sense-making around and includes thoughts around how to improve …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Students In The School Setting: The Adaptations Needed For Tiered Supports, Eleni M. Gajewski

Dissertations

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on students in the school setting and identify necessary adaptations needed, particularly through a tiered system of support. The research aims for two primary objectives by employing a constructivist framework utilizing mixed methods for data collection. Firstly, it aims to provide districts with a foundation for understanding the social-emotional and academic consequences of the pandemic on students. Secondly, its purpose is to empower districts to leverage this comprehensive evaluation as a proactive approach to cater to the diverse needs of all students. This includes responding to the challenges posed …

Evaluation And Improvement Of Processes And Metrics In A Dual Credit Program, Kristian E. Fischer

Education Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation used convergent mixed methods design in a program implementation evaluation of a dual credit program. A binary logistic regression was performed on dual credit enrollment persistence. A stakeholder survey was deployed to parents, administrators, instructors and counselors associated with the dual credit program. A full review of district documents related to dual credit was included as part of the qualitative component. The results of the regression indicated non-significance in the predictor variables for the dependent variable of dual credit persistence. The emergent themes from the survey included concerns about student readiness for dual credit coursework and a need …

The Knowledge And Utilization Of Trauma-Informed Care By Educational And Mental Health Professionals Who Serve Children In A Texas City, Mashelle Ancell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the knowledge and utilization of trauma-informed care by professionals serving children within schools, social service agencies, or child therapy in a middle-sized Texas city. Previous studies acknowledged the prevalence of trauma and the need for systemic trauma-informed care in communities. The theoretical framework used to guide this study was attachment theory due to the emphasis on securely attached relationships, which is consistent with trauma-informed care. Data collection methods included an online open-ended questionnaire and semistructured personal interviews. Data analysis was completed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes from participant …

A Predictive Study Of Burnout And The Areas Of Worklife In Secondary Classical Christian School Teachers, Danielle R. Dillenschneider

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study evaluated the relationship between burnout and the six areas of worklife in secondary-level classical Christian school teachers at ACCS-accredited classical Christian schools. Moreover, the focus of the study was to determine the degree to which the six areas of worklife predicted burnout. Burnout was defined as a condition when employees consistently experience emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and inefficacy in relation to their work (Maslach et al., 2001). The six areas of worklife are workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values (Maslach et al., 2001). The areas of worklife significantly predicted a low level of burnout (p = .002), and …

Elementary Teachers’ Perception Of Digital Resources Based On Student Achievement, Tanya R. Small

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Many factors impact teachers’ decisions about when and how to implement technology during instruction. However, a gap exists in understanding teachers’ motivations for technology integration and face-to-face instruction. Therefore, this qualitative case study explored how teachers’ perceptions of student achievement, motivation, classroom behaviors, and digital challenges influenced their decisions about using technology or direct instruction in the classroom setting. A group of 20 teachers from two southern Florida public elementary schools completed anonymous Likert-scale surveys; six teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings determined via descriptive statistics and thematic analysis revealed that teachers’ inclusion of technology and traditional resources is …

Equity Among Equity Workers: Public Service Motivation In An Educational Nonprofit Organization, Russell C. West Jr

Theses and Dissertations

What opportunities and challenges arise when an equity-focused educational organization aims to support employee’s individual equity practices while simultaneously developing the organization’s equity practice? In this study, employees of a non-profit educational organization were asked what rationales and expectations played a role in their decision to volunteer in an equity working group. Their responses were used to understand whether Perry’s (2000) process theory of Public Service Motivation helped describe their decision. In a second round of interviews, employees were asked what outcomes they perceived came from their participation. These responses were used to understand whether the outcomes aligned with those …

International K-12 Schools Seeking U.S. Accreditation: An Analysis Of The Rationales Involved In Earning Accreditation Through The Western Association Of Schools And Colleges, Kerri Knapp

Capstone Collection

The international K-12 school market is growing fast, and new international schools are opening every year. Hundreds of those international K-12 schools seek out accreditation to help validate their institution’s authenticity. Accreditation allows potential students and families to trust that the education provided is legitimate according to a set of principles and standards provided by the accreditation organization. Colleges and universities, particularly those in the United States, where thousands of international students strive to be accepted, typically require students to matriculate from an accredited school. With this market growth comes a need for accountability, and therein lies accreditation. The United …

For The Love Of Teaching: Pre-Service Teachers’ Experience Of Moral Education, Anne Marie Foley Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations

Moral aspects of teaching arise each and every day, yet we lack information about how prepared teachers feel about this critical aspect of teaching. This multi-case study explores perceptions of five pre-service teachers in an elementary teacher education program in Western Massachusetts. A series of interviews explore their histories prior to the program and their experiences in the program as related to the pre-service teachers’ orientations to the moral work of teaching. Research questions address the awareness and self-efficacy of student teachers in implementing the moral aspects of teaching. Using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006), this study explores beliefs …

The Transformative Mindset Of Middle School Principals On Culture And The Impact Of Student Achievement, Christina Gfell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary middle school principals perceived practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary middle school principals perceived affected infinite mindset development.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary middle school principals in Harris County, Texas. …

Implementation Of An Early College Design In A Rural High School: Empowering Place-Conscious Leadership To Affect Change And Overcome Barriers To Innovation, Michael Timko

All Dissertations

This qualitative, improvement science, autoethnograpic case study aims to examine a unique perspective on rural research through the lens of place-conscious leadership. With an identified problem of inequity in advanced-level course offerings, which resulted in lost student opportunities and student attrition to neighboring schools, the leadership at Forest Lakes High School (FLHS) in rural South Carolina began the ambitious journey of reframing their narrative. As a scholarly researcher and administrator at FLHS, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself fully in all aspects of this study. My dual positionality allowed me to study this process while sharing the lived …

School Accountability Within The Dominican Republic: A Qualitative Study Of School Principals’ Beliefs And Knowledge, Massiel Cohen Camacho

Dissertations

The school accountability system in the Dominican Republic (DR) involves the use of several national assessments, the reporting of such data, and the training of principals on how to use such data as part of school improvement efforts. While this type of indicator accountability system does not include specific consequences, there is still significant measuring and reporting of student achievement data, with the implied connotation of teacher and principal responsibility for specific school outcomes. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of research on what school principals know about such school accountability in the DR, and how they …

Principal Supervisor Professional Learning In A Community Of Practice., Jessica Rosenthal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Principal supervisor professional learning is an area of educational professionalism that is under-researched and under-developed (Casserly et al., 2013). Because K-12 students deserve to have the best leaders possible impacting their school experience, K-12 principal supervisors need professional learning that strengthens their ability to coach and evaluate K-12 principals (Waters & Marzano, 2006). This study utilized a principal supervisor community of practice as a form of role-specific professional learning. Semi-structured interviews occurring before and after four community of practice convenings along with transcripts from the convenings were used to answer questions that explored principal supervisors’ characterization of a community of …