Education Commons^™

Top Of The C.L.A.S.S. Connecting Leadership And Student Success, Natasha N. Johnson, Thaddeus Johnson

CJC Publications

This chapter highlights the direct correlation between effective leadership and student achievement. The development – and execution – of a concrete leadership framework is necessary for organizational structure and serves as a standard of excellence that surpasses any potentially harmful influences (such as race, socioeconomic status, family structure, gender, culture, and disability, among others). The establishment of this agenda occurs as individuals continually strive for self-fulfillment. Through this process, one can effectively guide others while working towards their own personal and professional objectives. Ultimately, this distinguishes successful leaders from the rest and represents the goal to which leaders should aspire: …

A Quantitative Examination Of Emotional Intelligence Among Primary And Secondary School Principals In The Guam Department Of Education, Forrest Ceasar Anderson Chargualaf

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aims to evaluate the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) primary and secondary school principals’ emotional intelligence in Guam to inform emotional intelligence-based professional development training. The significance of the study is it establishes an emotional intelligence baseline for GDOE and yields contextual data to help create emotional intelligence-based professional development for GDOE school principals. The study is a non-experimental, correlational quantitative research design with a proposed sample size of 84 GDOE school principals, consisting of two populations: GDOE primary (42) and secondary school principals (42). From the sample pool of 84 school principals, 45 school participants met …

K-12 Florida Christian Schools In Crisis: A Correlational Study Of Educational Leadership During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cesar O. Irizarry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

K-12 Florida Christian schools were disrupted due to the advent of a global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Flexibility was needed by educational leadership during this time of crisis. For that reason, this study will aim to understand the leadership principles necessary to provide leaders with the flexibility to adapt to extreme circumstances. The literature addresses the leader’s importance of being flexible during a crisis (Ruffner & Huizing, 2016). However, the literature continues to examine the effects of the pandemic on education but has not identified those contingencies that are necessary for leaders in the Christian educational system …

Herstory 101: Examining The Representation Gap Of Bipoc Women Educational Leaders, Kinasha Brown

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how lived experiences influenced perceptions of leadership self-efficacy amongst Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC) women educational leaders in order to minimize future representation gaps in educational leadership. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 BIPOC cis-gender female leaders who worked in a large school district in the southwestern region of the United States. Results: Examining the social constructs of race, gender, leadership makes clear how BIPOC women are socially constructed as inferior and how that played out in this educational leadership settings. The interconnectedness of both approaches contributes to …

Central Office Leadership: The Importance Of Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging In The Ivory Tower, Natasha N. Johnson Edd

CJC Publications

As a consequence of their multiple identities, underrepresented leaders often navigate both racialized and gendered pathways to leadership in the U.S. education industry. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the impact of their intersecting identities and the structural barriers in this sector. To deepen our collective understanding of this phenomenon, the author reviews existing theories and research related to the intersection of race and gender within the educational leadership sphere. More specifically, the author highlights the individual and compounding effects of gender and race on the professional realities of current and aspiring leaders in education at the Central Office (i.e., …

Female African American Deans’ Rise To Success: Navigating And Conquering Self-Sabotaging Behaviors By Taking Back Their Power, Davina Bailey

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American Deans in higher education and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by female African American Deans in higher education to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed-method study explored the lived experiences of nine female African American deans who acknowledged they had experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their careers. The researcher distributed an electronic Likert scale survey to the participants to identify the most …

Factors Influencing Stakeholder Support Of A Bond Referendum In A Rural Kansas School District, Joshua M. Woodward

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence stakeholder support of bond elections targeted for capital improvements in a rural school district in Kansas. The study uses existing research to identify factors that influence school bond referendum success. To better understand the factors identified in the research literature that influence stakeholder support in the focus district, data were gathered from stakeholders within the school district of focus through a perceptual survey and focus group interviews.

The availability of research on school bond referendum success and failure is plentiful. However, specific research on factors that influence rural school …

A Phenomenological Study On Teacher Perceptions Of The Influence Of Governance On Teacher Retention In Ugandan Private Primary Christian Schools, Jomo Zizwe Morani Thomas Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to answer the following central research question, “what are teachers’ perceptions of the effects of governance on teacher retention in private primary Christian schools in Uganda?” The theoretical model that guided this study was an integrated model comprising distributed leadership and transformational leadership and its relationship to governance influences on teacher retention. The study utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology for data analysis. The selected participants were comprised of 13 teachers from four approved Christian primary school sites located in the Wakiso district of Uganda. The primary data collection methods were individual questionnaires, …

Ministry Of Education Management Committee Members’ Perceptions Of Shared Organizational Vision, Theresa Obiageli Mbonu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPersistent challenges in the Nigerian educational system have made education delivery ineffective as students’ performance levels on national examinations have remained low. Students’ average performance has been below 40% on the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) for 7 consecutive years in the region of this research. Stakeholders blamed heads of schools and teachers, yet the Ministry of Education made significant decisions about schools’ inputs. Leaders at the Ministry of Education may need to adopt a shared vision approach to addressing persistent educational challenges. There was no study available to indicate the understanding of educational leaders at this level concerning …

Social Justice Leadership In Catholic Secondary Schools: A Critical Examination Of Social Justice Orientation And Praxis, Linda Nguyễn

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to understand the impact of a leader’s social justice orientation on their praxis of social justice. The study also sought to discover the successes and challenges associated with enacting social justice. Nine Catholic secondary school leaders in the California Archdiocese participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to understand how social justice orientation affects social justice praxis. The data analysis indicates that the social justice outcomes of a school site are greatly impacted by the school leader’s justice-orientation. Findings revealed that justice-orientation is dependent on two factors: the self-efficacy of the leader and …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By High School Principals, Darrick Rice

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the perceived impact of Patterson’s (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs on high school principals in establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of high school principals who lead schools that have implemented Patterson's (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs for establishing a culture of high performance in Los Angeles County, California. The researcher was a part of 8 peer researchers and 2 faculty advisors. The data collection included virtual face-to-face semi structured interviews using a protocol developed by the thematic team. …

Leadership Advocacy, Ethical Negotiations, And Resignations To High-Stakes Assessment: A Pilgrimage, Jennifer Galbraith Canady

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of my study is to explore the stories of the ethical tensions K-12 educational administrators navigate when implementing high-stakes assessment policy in a culture of measurement during testing season. Some educational leaders, in particular K-12 school and district administrators, struggle with the tensions existing between their own personal belief systems, organizational dilemmas, and the requirements of enacting high-stakes assessment policies. Using narrative inquiry as method, I collected and analyzed four school administrators selected who expressed frustration with enacting high-stakes assessment policies. The participants include a middle principal, a middle school assistant principal, a high school assistant principal, and …

Principals' Perceptions Of Professional Development And Caring Communities For English Learners, Sunny Sue Chang Jonas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

A growing population of English Learners (ELs) have unique challenges when navigating the American educational system. In fact, there is an achievement gap such that EL students lag behind their native English peers in school outcomes. Accordingly, there is increased demand for professional development (PD) lead by principals to address the needs of the changing population of ELs. To support effective PD aimed at improved achievement for ELs, principals need embrace transformative thinking in their work. Although PD has the potential to be the driving force of change, traditional approaches to PD have limited impact on academic success of ELs. …

Speaking Their Truth: Black Women's Perspectives On Executive-Level Administration In Higher Education, Tanja N. Bibbs

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

While Black women have etched a place for themselves as leaders within colleges and universities, few have advanced to the most senior levels of postsecondary administration and they remain underrepresented in those type of roles (Gamble & Turner, 2015; Jackson & Harris, 2007; West, 2015). Scholarly research has explored Black women’s experiences as institutional leaders (Davis & Maldonado, 2015; Smith & Crawford, 2007; Waring, 2003); yet the phenomenon of executive-level higher education administration, specifically as it relates to Black women’s perspectives, is not well known (Enke, 2014; Jean-Marie, Williams, & Sherman, 2009). Moreover, research that directs attention to Black women’s …

Impact, Implementation, And Insights Of Peace Education: A Case Study Of The M.A. In Peace Studies And Conflict Transformation Program At The University Of Rwanda, Sarah M. Doerrer

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Higher education is arguably critical for healing and stabilization in postconflict contexts, by developing leaders who value peace and have the skill sets to achieve it in various sectors. A rapidly growing body of literature concludes that peace education in particular has great potential to transform postconflict communities, both in higher education and at other levels of schooling. Yet there exists little rigorous analysis of the decisions faced by educational leaders responsible for implementing such programs, particularly those in postconflict settings where the needs are uniquely challenging.

This qualitative investigation documented the M.A. in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation program, …

An Autoethnography Of Culturally Relevant Leadership As Moral Practice: Lived Experiences Through A Scholar-Practitioner Lens, Charles L. Lowery

The Qualitative Report

In this autoethnography, I am concerned with cultural relevance as an experience of a scholar-practitioner educational leader. I question my own cultural competence as a teacher and school principal. Turning a reflective gaze on my lived experiences as an educator creates a space in which I attempt to make meaning of the phenomenon of culturally relevant practices in the field of education. As an act of pedagogical and personal meaning-making, this autoethnographic work centers on the value of cultural relevance as informed by scholarly practice.

Cultivating Contextual Attributes In The Integration Of Latin@ Educational Leadership, Yuleinys A. Castillo, Suzanne Maniss

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Although the Latino population is growing rapidly in the United States, there is a disproportionate paucity of literature on the perspectives and challenges of Latino/a educational leaders. Culturally aware educational leadership can help to improve retention and student engagement of Latino students. The purpose of this article is to explore the factors influencing the educational experience and perspective of Latino/a students and leaders to expand the understanding of Latinos within the education system. Identifying role models, creating network and professional development opportunities, as well as offering training programs are practices to enhance the training and expertise of Latino educational leaders. …

The Private School Advantage: Evidence From School Vouchers And Educational Leadership, Mohammad Danish Shakeel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School choice is becoming increasingly popular around the globe. Broadly the term ‘school choice’ is used to describe the options available for families to send children to school(s) other than the one they are residentially assigned to. Private school choice interventions known as ‘school vouchers,’ offer public or private funding to enable families to send their children to private school.

Research in 1970s and 80s by James Coleman and his colleagues showed a private school advantage in student achievement and graduation rates, in comparison to traditional public schools. Competing evidence was presented by Christopher Lubienski and Sarah Lubienski in 2013, …

Understanding Emotion In Educational And Service Organizations Through Semi-Structured Interviews: Some Conceptual And Practical Insights, Izhar Oplatka 9512056

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this paper is to illuminate the challenges, complexities, and strategies of semi-structured interviewing in studies about emotion in educational organizations, in general, and about teacher emotion and emotion in educational leadership, in particular, and, thereby, enable interviewers to make thoughtful decisions concerning planning and implementing future interviews on this sensitive issue. After a short review of the literature on semi-structured interviews, I analyze the distinctive characteristics of the planning phase (e.g., sample, sampling, location) and the implementation phase (e.g., the opening stage, rapport, hazards) in interviewing teachers and educational leaders about their emotion management, emotion regulation and …

Public Relations And The School Superintendent: From Theory To Practice, Terry L. Hapney Jr.

Terry L. Hapney Jr., Ph.D.

Multidimensional Leadership: Masculine And Feminine Leadership Approaches In Public Education, Joseph P. Eberhard

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With two-thirds of new leaders being women, it has become increasingly more clear that the face of our educational organizations is changing both symbolically and substantively. The demands placed on public education have also grown exponentially. If society demands that schools become better, then it is necessary to investigate the approaches that school leaders utilize in making decisions.

The purpose of this research was to explore the different approaches that educational leaders implement during their decision-making processes. The present study asked 20 school leaders within Miami Dade County Public Schools to report and explain their personal approaches to leadership to …

Teaching Moral Literacy Through Critical Pedagogical Bricolage: A Co-Constructed Auto-Ethnography Of An Educational Leadership Program, Chetanath Gautam, Charles L. Lowery

The Qualitative Report

In this collaborative auto-ethnographical inquiry, two developing scholar–practitioner educational leaders explore the notion of moral literacy through a lens of critical pedagogical bricolage. This study aims to reveal certain experiences of two doctoral candidates engaged in an educational doctorate, contemplating their identities as emergent leaders from diverse backgrounds. By approaching this inquiry from a qualitative and strictly post-positivist understanding of research, we aim to present critical components of our program and the literature presented in that program that led to our understanding of moral literacy’s role in theoretical and pragmatic provinces of educational leadership. Our analysis is presented in three …

Leadership Perspectives Of Chief Student Affairs Officers, Jeff Beavers

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

Leadership in student affairs continues to be a challenging enterprise for universities. Colleges are expected to help students succeed while providing for abundant needs through graduation. Chief student affairs officers have increasing demands of students and faculty amid decreased funds. This exploratory study took an in-depth look at the leadership perspectives of 19 chief student affairs officers at 4-year, public universities across the Midwest. The researcher sought responses on common leadership perspectives, challenges faced, and opportunities encountered. The three emerging themes were elements that inform leadership, knowledge and skills, and mindful leadership outlook. These emergent themes formed the basis for …

A Social Network Approach To Examine K-12 Educational Leaders’ Influence On Information Diffusion On Twitter, Yinying Wang, Nicholas Sauers, Jayson W. Richardson

Educational Policy Studies Faculty Publications

This study investigated the relationship between the leader’s gender, leadership position, Twitter use, and influence on information diffusion in the communication network on Twitter. We collected the 30,200 latest tweets of 151 active Twitter users who held educational leadership positions. Results of social network analysis and multiple regression analyses suggest a gender inequality in the leader’s influence on information diffusion in the network. Findings also indicate no significant relationship between leadership position (district vs. building) and a leader's influence in the network. Moreover, Twitter following was positively associated with the leader’s influence in the network, whereas the number of followers, …

An Examination Of Urban School Governance Reform In Detroit Public Schools, 1999-2014, Shaun Michael Black

Wayne State University Dissertations

In 1983, the A Nation at Risk report stated that our educational institutions in the United States and especially in urban areas were not meeting the educational needs of our students. Since A Nation at Risk, elected school boards in urban areas were under fire from the media, parents, other civic and community leaders, and voters due to fiscal irresponsibility and poor student achievement. In selected urban cities across the nation, elected school boards were replaced in favor of mayoral control (e.g., Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC) and appointed school boards (Wong et al., …

The Experience Of Individuals Who Transitioned From Teacher To Assistant-Principal, Mara Hoffert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The transition from teacher to assistant-principal is complex. The purpose of this study was to better understand the phenomenon of transition to leadership roles in high schools by investigating the experiences of four teachers who moved from teacher to assistant-principal positions in suburban school-districts in the State of Michigan. This multiple case-study comprises an in-depth examination of four teachers within their first four years as an assistant-principal. Interviews also included one central-office cabinet member from three of the four districts and one teacher in each of the assistant-principals’ schools. Interviews were guided by research questions regarding motivation for successful teacher …

Factors That Influence Student Selection Of Educational Leadership Master’S Programs At Regional Universities, Pam Winn, Lesley F. Leach, Susan Erwin, Liza Benedict

Administrative Issues Journal

Graduate enrollment numbers in Educational Leadership programs have dwindled at many public higher education institutions. At the same time, for-profit institutions and institutions with private marketing partnerships have experienced increasingly greater enrollments. Many public institutions are reevaluating their marketing and recruiting strategies as they struggle to compete for students. Central to any marketing strategy is knowledge of the needs and wants of consumers; in the case of higher education, the consumers are students. This study sought to determine the needs and wants of Master’s-level Educational Leadership students by investigating the factors that influenced students’ selections of programs as well as …

Culturally Responsive Leadership: A Case Study To Explore Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Leadership In A K-12 Public Charter School In North Carolina, Kimberly Michelle Jones Goods

Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore stakeholders’ perceptions of the culturally responsive leadership practices of charter school leaders. The goals were: (a) to explore how the school leadership team perceived culturally responsive leadership in a K-12 charter school in North Carolina, (b) to explore how the teachers perceived culturally responsive teaching and learning in a K-12 charter school in North Carolina, and (c) to explore how parents perceived a culturally responsive home-school connection in a K-12 charter school in North Carolina. Because this study involved an examination of stakeholders’ perceptions of culturally responsive leadership in a …

Growing As A Leader Through Developing Others: The Effect Of Being A Mentor Principal, Megan Rachel Adams

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

Principals play a significant role in student learning. They are expected to be both instructional and organizational leaders as well as the day-to-day management of a community of individuals. The balancing of multiple roles is a dynamic task that takes education, training, coaching and ongoing developmental support. However, principals often do not have these supports to foster growth and effective practice.

This multiple case study examined the experiences of two secondary school urban principals who mentored future administrative leaders. The study also explored other elements of the practice including the necessary supports for a successful partnership, the barriers to a …

An Analysis Of The Relationships Between The Perceived Organizational Climate And Professional Burnout In Libraries And Computing Centers In West Virginia Public Higher Education Institutions, Arnold R. Miller

Arnold R. Miller

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between the perceived organizational climate and professional burnout in libraries and computing services units in West Virginia higher education. Research questions were defined to investigate the differences between libraries and computing services units in the perceived organizational climate, professional burnout, organizational climate vs. burnout, demographics vs. organizational climate, demographics vs. burnout, and the combined effects of demographics and organizational climate upon burnout. The Work Environment Scale (WES) Form R, third edition, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) HSS, third edition, and a demographic questionnaire measured the organizational climate, burnout, and demographics. …