Education Commons^™

Best Practices Used By Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction: Improving Teacher Instruction In A High Accountability Environment, Julie Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study investigated not only the role of assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction, but the strategies and best practices used by four assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction and a deputy superintendent of teaching and learning from East Texas in order to improve classroom instruction and support teachers in the high-stakes testing environment. The study sheds light on the role of central office leaders, their views related to the high-stakes testing environment and the impact they have on instruction for teachers and students. The responses given in this qualitative case study were carefully analyzed in order to …

A Mixed Methods Study On Educational Leadership And Ethical Decision Making In Situations Of High Turbulence, Jenna Sladeck

Dissertations

Researching ethical decision-making, within an educational setting, shed light on the importance of how each decision may influence an individual leader across generations. “A leader’s system of values, or deeply held beliefs, is the ethical framework from which a leader develops a vision, defines and shapes the change process and takes action to make his or her vision a reality” (Vogel, 2012, p. 1). The researcher sought to investigate the how and why of each decision to explore a possible gap between one leader to another, based on age, experience, education, gender and/or race. When an educational leader experienced a …

Characterizing Exceptional Superintendent Leadership In Ethnically And Economically Diverse School Districts, Nicholas Henkle

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined ‘exceptional’ superintendent leadership in ethnically and economically diverse school districts. The purpose of the study was to use comparative case studies to better understand the beliefs and strategies these proven leaders employ to positively impact achievement and close the opportunity gap for students in ethnically and economically diverse school districts. The study examined three superintendents from the state of Illinois with respect to their philosophy, identified district strengths, culturally responsive attitudes and actions, leadership style, core beliefs, direct impact on students, and decision-making process to identify commonalities and differences that exist.

Culturally responsive leadership was the theoretical …

Lived History Of A Transformative Leader With A Disability: An Evocative Autoethnography For Social Justice, Sofia Vergara

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Despite legal advancements recognizing the rights of individuals with disabilities, societal barriers are still arising from the medical model of disability. These obstacles have resulted in marginalizing and isolating practices, in turn leading to the underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in the workforce and, by extension, in leadership positions.

Grounded in the frameworks of critical pedagogy and critical disability studies, this autoethnographic study examines, using my personal experiences as contextual evidence, the determining factors underlying the struggle for equity and leadership, within the hegemonic society that people with disabilities must navigate. The study further explores the issue of empowerment and …

"Serviam": A Historical Case Study Of Leadership In Transition In Urban Catholic Schools In Northeast Ohio, Sarah M. West

ETD Archive

The purpose of this historical case study was to explore, through the lens of knowledge transfer, answers to the following two questions: how did the Sister-educators from one community in Northeast Ohio prepare themselves for leadership, and when it became clear that the future of their urban school depended on transitioning to lay leadership, how did Sister-principals prepare their religious communities and their school communities for that change. This qualitative study focuses on six members of one active, engaged, service-based community which has supported schools Northeast Ohio for over a century. The research revealed that a successful Sister-to-laity leadership transition …

Teacher Self-Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Lives Of Teachers And The Influences On Their Interactions With Students, Hannah Marie Reid

ETD Archive

New teachers are supported extensively while participating in teacher training programs and during the first years of teaching. During this time, there are opportunities for the new teacher to explore their self-identity and determine how they will interact with students in the classroom. As teachers enter the later years of their careers and are considered experienced, they are forced to contend with changing political and societal factors that influence their experiences around teaching in the classroom, often times without the extensive support that is provided for the teachers in their first years. Through a lens of social constructivism, narrative inquiry …

By Need And By Name: School Leaders Fostering Environments For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Rebecca G. Roach

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Children raised by their grandparents are a steadily growing demographic in schools throughout the United States. When parents are unable to care for their children, grandparents sometimes assume the role of primary caregiver. This is especially true when they are faced with the threat of placing their grandchildren in the foster care system. More often than not, these grandparents are not adequately prepared for the challenges of raising children who have lost their parent through death, drug abuse or incarceration and few resources exist to guide elementary school principals to engage this demographic. Regardless of the growing numbers of caregiving …

Building Capacity Through A Community Of Practice For Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities Seeking Inclusion In Higher Education, Jason L. Wheatley

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is an urban school district in Louisville, Kentucky. While serving more than 100,000 students, JCPS is the 27th largest school system in the United States. JCPS serves students with moderate to severe disabilities (MSD) seeking to attain an alternative diploma upon exiting secondary school. Students with MSD enrolled in JCPS age 16 and older receive transition services to support post-secondary transition. Community stakeholders and JCPS central office staff are concerned about post school outcomes and transition for students with MSD. Based on a report by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), a majority of …

Leading Ladies: A Mixed-Method Study Of The Influence Of Gender Bias On Leadership Styles For Women Who Lead Secondary Schools, Angela S. Coaxum-Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed method study is to determine if women who lead secondary schools have gender bias experiences that might influence their leadership styles. The study focused on the accounts of five women who lead secondary schools, their gender bias experiences, their perceived leadership style and whether or not they believed the experience influences how they lead. Through in-depth interviews and survey completion, the data from both sources revealed the common leadership styles and gender bias experiences among the research participants. When examining the shared experiences three salient themes emerged: (a) A belief that gender bias still exists …